Never Again
by Golden Eagle 603
Summary: Even before Artemis Hunter was Bitten her life story would've give a few people nightmares. Now this 18 year old girl is on the run from the Family, the group of werewolves who trained her unwillingly to be what she is today. One night she literally crashes into the Pack and her life changes forever. But the Family doesn't give up their toy that easily.
1. Chapter 1: Hunted

**Okay, this is the first story I've posted on so please forgive me while I figure out all the tricks to this thing. Anyway, I've been writing for years and recently discovered this website and thought this would be a great place to post my stories and see how I'm doing. So please review. I'd really appreciate it and it'll help me push this story further.**

**Also, I do not own any of Kelley Armstrong's stories, characters, or anything else. I just own my original characters. Please don't sue me.**

**Chapter 1: Hunted**

The street was deserted. It was one of those streets with only a few street lights barely on and broken-down abandoned buildings on either side. You know the street, the one you avoid at every chance you get. It was eerily silent and not even the rats and bugs seemed to move. The wind blew softly and scattered the few loose pieces of trash.

In the distant a wolf howled and another joined its song. Thunder rolled ominously and what most people didn't know was that the howls weren't a normal singing howl, but a hunting howl. They'd found their prey's scent.

The silence was shattered as I sprinted down the street, and even in my haste my feet were silent while my breathing was not. I froze in the middle of the street at the sound of the howl and growled, the inhuman sound echoing in the silent street and buildings.

"Damn it," I swore softly, taking off again. I still hadn't lost them in the forest despite the mess I'd made of my scent trail. And boy were they tenacious, of course, they were probably not likely to give up easily on the very rare "prize" that I was. _Perverted bastards_. _Werewolves, all of them._

I thought furiously as I hauled ass down the street. I should go to a public area now. They wouldn't dare follow me there and my scent would be lost among the humans and the cars. I could even sacrifice my low money and take a cab, completely erasing my scent. _I'll use that as a final recourse_, I thought to myself.

I tuned my heightened hearing to the sounds of cars and made my way towards it. Turning down the alley, I saw the crowd of moving people and breathed a sigh of relief. Then I heard panting and claws clicking on pavement. I spun around and saw two werewolves in wolf form barrel around the corner and towards me, they're human eyes lighting up with triumph and perverted glee. I pivoted and pushed myself harder, looking at the crowd as a drowning person looks at the surface of the water. I could hear the sounds of the wolves coming closer and closer as the wolf's legs carried them farther than my human ones. As a last ditch effort I dove for the crowd and crashed into several people.

Shouts and curses rang out over the sound of the city. I crouched and helped up as many people as I could, apologizing profusely despite their hatred towards me for ruining their night. I never did understand that. Why get angry when someone was obviously sorry?

After everyone was on their way, throwing glares my way as they left, I stood and turned towards the alley. My supernatural sight picked out of the forms of the two wolves crouching and glaring hatefully at me. I snickered as I turned and walked away. _Join the party_, I thought towards them.

I spent a good hour sweeping myself away in the always busy streets of New York City before I finally stopped looking over my shoulder and enjoyed the sights. It always surprised me how you could go from busy city to isolated forest if you knew you're way around. Everything was so bright and attractive. I wanted to go into each store and look around, especially the restaurants, which smelled like heaven to me.

I'd found out that being a werewolf meant that I have to eat about three times as much as when I was a human. Hence my very thin shape under my black trench coat and hood, which engulfed my figure, and then my black skinny jeans and black T-Shirt. Like all of my clothes, my black converse were a little worn, but since I'd had them for years they were in excellent condition.

I looked longingly at a McDonalds. Living on the street meant I had to watch my money or go back to stealing, which I had no qualms with: I just avoided it when I could. Out of habit, I felt for the strap of my small backpack before moving on. I only had so much and that could only get me so far. It always irritated me when I saw people throwing away money for things they didn't need. I suppose that was a little unfair, for I hadn't been able to buy more than the bare necessities for a very long time. _Hell, when was the last time I'd bought a book and sat down to read, losing myself in the story like I used to? Or played an instrument to release my emotions from the day?_

I sighed and shook my head to focus on my surroundings again when I bumped into someone. Recoiling, I began to apologize when the man's scent reached my nose. I looked up and up in shock and the face that was twisted in evil joy. _No_, I thought with numb terror. _How could the mutts have found me?_

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the mutts hands come up to grab me. Acting out of instinct, I dropped to the ground in an effortless forward splits so I had one leg in between the mutts. I scissor kicked his legs and he dropped to the ground with a surprised shout. I rolled and came to my feet and was sprinting in a second, shoving my way through the crowd, apologizing to people as I went. A look over my shoulder told me that my first attacker, the werewolf built and colored like a brick, and his partner, the one that reminded me of Schwarzenegger, were gaining on me.

Panic filled me before I pushed it and the people in front of me away. I spotted a gap in the crowd near a wall and shoved my way towards it, putting on a burst of speed that caused my hood to fly back and my thick butt length black braid to come free. I was passing in front of a fancy restaurant with a glass front and I glimpsed my reflection for a moment and I couldn't help but wonder what people thought when they saw the 5'7'' skinny girl with delicate features and dressed all in black running for her life.

Then, I ran bodily into another man. It was a surprise when I didn't bowl the both of us over, for I was going as fast as my supernatural abilities would allow me. The man grabbed my arms and grunted in surprise as we stumbled from our impact. I was about to spin away and continue running when I took a deep breath through my nose and I felt my heart skip. Another werewolf. I couldn't help but look up at the man's face as I thought, _An ambush? This can't be happening. It's never been this hard to escape. Never._

I watched with horror as I saw the man's nose flare as he took in my scent.

**Please review! Did I do good? Did I do bad? Please tell me! Even negetive reviews! I'd just like feedback please! And I'll try and get Ch. 2 out today or tomorrow. It's done, I just have to finish editing it. Thank You for Reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Cornered

**WOOO! Same day chapter update! Of course I have a few chapters already done, I'm just going through them and editing. Well, this is chapter 2!**

**Chapter 2: Cornered**

Confusion crossed the werewolf's features as he looked down at me. He had very sharp, strong features, beautiful chocolate brown eyes, and short brown hair. I also couldn't help but realize this guy was buff. No, beyond buff. He was ripped.

Then a shout of anger distracted me before I could process the werewolf's reaction and I looked to my left to see the mutts closer than ever before. I felt my wolf shove me over and force my body to push away from the latest werewolf's grip and take off down the street. I heard someone shouting for me to wait and then the name "Jeremy" being yelled. My wolf carried us around the corner and into less populated areas before she relented enough to consult me on where to go. It's hard to explain since she doesn't use words but I just get the notion of what she wants, needs, or feels.

Slowly the sounds of the city faded and so did my pursuers. We ran for hours, zigzagging around corners, sprinting through alleys, vaulting over fences before my wolf even considered looking back, let alone slowing down. Finally, when it had been raining for quite some time and didn't show any sign of letting up, my wolf slowed to a stop in an abandoned warehouse district. It was only because she knew the rain would wash away my scent that she let me back into control again.

I didn't normally fight when my wolf when she takes control, and I didn't this time, but I let her know I was pissed when I felt how exhausted and sore my body was. She didn't feel remorseful at all. I forced myself to snap the lock on a nearby door and stumble into the dirty, empty space.

I couldn't remember finding a corner and sinking to the floor. "Jesus," I sighed. "I don't think I'm even in New York State anymore." My quiet voice was unnaturally loud in the silence and to my heightened hearing so I didn't say anything more. I glanced down at the sorry state my shoes were in, torn, wet, and falling apart. _Jeez, we have run far. At least there's no chance they'll find me now._

I tried to wet my lips, but my mouth was so dry and I was so cold. And the fact that I hadn't eaten in the last few days made me extremely weak. _I shouldn't have been able to run that much or fast_. My dry eyes were just closing when I heard the door to my warehouse slam open and a voice that sent chills down my spine call out, "Oh, Artemis!" He called as you would a child playing around. "Come out, come out where ever you are!"

I gritted my teeth at the sound of Bud's voice calling my name and, for a second, I felt panic squeeze my heart before I pushed my emotions behind the ice wall I'd built over the years. Watching from my dark corner, I took in Bud's soaking wet form that only made him look even more deranged and crazy. Not that he needed help in that department with his bald head, thick neck, bulging muscles, and the always present sneer and insane gleaming eyes. _At least he's not ripped like the werewolf I ran into_, I thought to myself, looking for a brighter point in this situation out of habit. I wondered briefly if all werewolves were buff as a rule as Brick and Schwarzenegger, Bud's companions, stepped into the door way behind him. Well, male werewolves, because I wasn't buff by a long shot.

Bud's eyes fell on me in my corner and he grinned. "There you are!" he exclaimed, still keeping up the adult-to-playful-child voice. He then _tsk_ed me, wagging his finger in a "no no" way as he stalked towards me. "I think you've carried on this game long enough. Think of all the trouble we went through to find you. Little Artemis should have never left her family's sights." I was using the wall to slide up since my muscles didn't seem to want to cooperate when Bud grabbed the front of my jacket, lifted me off my feet, and slammed me into the thin metal wall hard enough for the huge space to reverberate with a loud thunder-like _BOOM_. I refused to cry out even though my head struck the wall just as hard. Bud's voice was suddenly savage as he brought his nose to mine and snarled, "No. She shouldn't have."

I snarled back at him and head butted him as hard as I could in the space available, but he saw it coming and moved his head in time to avoid it. I got a blow to my diaphragm for my trouble as he effortlessly held me a loft with his werewolf strength. Struggling to remember how to breathe, I glared up at Bud's way too happy face. He looked me up and down with a leer that sent goose bumps all over my body. "Looks like you need to be trained again. You've been slacking off in your time away from the Family. Not that it's any skin off my back to bring you to heel again." He said this last part as he ground his pelvis against mine.

For a moment, my old fear surfaced again, the memories of pain, terror, and the rage that I would someday give back as good as I got. I shoved the memories and emotions behind the ice wall and put up my wall to ignore my body's exhaustion and imminent pain. Then I reached up and grabbed the wrist holding me up with both of mine and twisted until I heard two satisfying cracks. I watched Bud's eyes widen in pain as his hand gave out, unable to hold my weight. I then brought my leg up with all of my werewolf strength and made full contact on his manhood. He grunted, bending over, clutching himself, and I boxed his ears hard enough to make him cry out as his sensitive ears were assaulted. I grabbed his head with both my hands and crashed his face into my knee. My wolf purred in pleasure at the bloody crunching sound of his nose breaking. While he was still stunned from my rapid attacks, I spun around in a practiced round-house kick and nailed him savagely in his temple. He crashed into the metal mall, giving off another _BOOM_ that was followed by real thunder and lightning, causing everything to blaze in sharp relief for a moment.

"Never again," I whispered down at Bud's dazed form. "I will never go back to that awful place you call a "Family". Never again will I ever let you touch me." Even I could hear the torment and rage in my voice. Bud blink blearily up at me and I saw as he came back to his senses. And then he smirked.

My ice wall cracked as rage consumed me. I tensed to attack him when hands grabbed me from behind and hauled me away. I instantly realized my mistake. I forgot about the other two. Shit.

I twisted and bucked and did every maneuver I knew to try and get free, and I would've if it had only been one werewolf holding me, but since there were two my efforts got me no where except in pain as they kick my thighs hard enough to force me to my knees. I yelled, losing my temper, and called all three of them, and werewolves in general, the ugliest, foulest names in new in all my fifteen languages. I only stopped after a few bloody slaps and a rib-cracking kick, which left me gasping for air and wincing at the pain from my chest that restricted my breaths.

"Finally!" Bud hissed, and I heard the quiet chuckles of the two holding me. Bud looked very put out and blew out a sigh. "You and that mouth," he murmured, exasperated. "It gets you and us in more trouble than we need." He gripped my jaw in a tight enough grip to leave bruises to show up later and forced my mouth shut. "If you remember as far back as that puny brain you have allows," he said in that sweet voice again, "You'll remember I usually let something like this go unpunished." His voice hardened right as I expected it to. "But you already caused enough trouble by attracting the attention of the Pack tonight. Ran right into them, you stupid bitch. And they held us up almost long enough to make us lose you, but they aren't that good. And, frankly, I'm out of patience." Bud looked thoughtful for a moment. A very dangerous sign. "Maybe I'll break your jaw. Randall said to bring you back, but he doesn't care if you were in good condition or not. I mean, you're a werewolf. You'll heal. Randall won't mind as long as you aren't permanently damaged. In fact, it almost sounded as if he wanted you hurt. And, as his faithful second and childhood friend, how could I disappoint him?"

I bared my teeth at him as his grip tightened on my jaw. The pressure was getting to the point where he was about to break my jaw when the door to the warehouse slammed open again and Bud, Brick, and Schwarzenegger all whipped around to see who it was. The hold on my jaw thankfully disappeared and I gave a small sigh of relief. I wouldn't have had to worry about eating if I didn't have the ability to eat.

Bud snarled and Tweedledee and Tweedledum both growled. A cool masculine voice softly called, "You are trespassing on Pack territory. I hope you have a very good reason for doing so." I shivered at the voice. It practically radiated authority and power, but in a subtle way. With my back to the door I wasn't able to see the owner of the voice and I honestly couldn't imagine what he looked like.

Bud bared his teeth in a very wolfish threat, "We're simply collecting what is ours. No need for the almighty Pack to get involved." I winced at the snide disrespectful voice he used and growled when he grabbed a fistful of my tightly bound hair and shook my head roughly.

I heard a few growls, but they didn't sound like they came from the speaker. I waited for the original man to speak again and to my surprise he still sounded cool. "I maybe misreading this situation, but it would appear as if the girl doesn't want to go with you. Let her go." I knew the new players in this situation were werewolves and the fact that this guy didn't sound angry at all was a testament to his control over his wolf. And the last three words the man spoke were an order spoken with a heavy authority that expected to be followed.

To my utter surprise, I felt Brick and Schwarzenegger loosen their grip slightly, not enough to be noticeable by sight but enough that I could feel a bit more room. I don't think the two idiots even realized what they did and I gave no hint that I did.

There was a pause where Bud snarled in defiance and no one moved. "Last chance," the calm werewolf murmured. Another pause where no one moved. A sigh. "As you wish. As Alpha of the Pack I'm giving out a death warrant effective immediately of you three until you hand over the girl." Three predatory snarls rang through the air and I heard three footsteps running at us.

I twisted myself out of all three of their grips in one move and tackled Bud.

Bud snarled and grabbed my shoulders as we hit the ground. He tried using his superior weight and strength to flip our position, but I drove my knee up at his crotch again, so he was forced to awkwardly hold my knee in place with his thighs instead of focusing on flipping us and I used that advantage to spit into his eyes. As expected, he blanched and froze. I held his head in my hands and banged it against the concrete floor.

Bud's eyes flashed in anger and then I was on my back with him straddling my hips. Before I could blink Bud's fist crashed into my cheek. I had to give Bud credit: he could move when he was in a rage.

I growled and lifted my legs up until they were flat against his back and I had my heels locked around his neck. I flexed and forced him down with my legs and his head hit the floor again. In the time he took to get to come to his senses I rolled backwards to my feet and into a crouch before he tackled me.

I shouted as he trapped my arms to my sides and held me in a bear hug, only this wasn't friendly at all. He squeezed harder and harder until I had no breath left and I could hear new cracks forming in m ribs. I wheezed, trying to blink away the black spots swirling in front of my eyes. Then I fell back on my last trick and focused on Bud's arms.

I felt the heavy weight in my mind and shoved Bud's arms away from my body with only my mind. My tormentor grunted in surprise as his arms suddenly left my body to make it look like he was pinned to a cross. I stood tall and met his eyes with mine before kicking out and catching him right in the gut. Even without the use of my telekinetic powers he flew a good ten feet before skidding across the ground. He sat up and glared at me before looking behind me.

I turned and followed his gaze. Brick and Schwarzenegger were unconscious on the ground, a little worse for wear, with four werewolves standing relatively uninjured over them as they stared at Bud, waiting with their wolves in their eyes.

Bud grimaced and I heard him mutter, "Well I'm not stupid." Then, he was up and dashing for a window.

For once, my wolf and I were in sync as we dashed after him. We felt a grim satisfaction as he looked back and saw us coming and fear flashed for a moment as he realized that I would intercept him. He turned and raised his fist as if to punch us, when his leg whipped out with his incredibly fast speed and kicked me right in the sternum. My breath left in a loud half _whoosh_ half cough. Before we could recover he grabbed our right arm, casually snapped it I less than a blink, and threw me at the closest wall.

I hit it and landed in an ungraceful heap as the sound of shattering glass reached my ears. Looking up, I saw that Bud had indeed gotten away. "Damn it!" I growled as I got to my feet and took a step towards the window, having every intention of tracking down Bud and finally having my revenge now that I knew I could do it.

But I only got one step before the wall I had put up to ignore my body suddenly crumbled. The exhaustion, the cold, and the pain suddenly hit me in a huge insurmountable wave I had no hope of keeping my head above. "Shit," I breathed as my knees gave out. Black clouded my vision and suddenly my body felt insanely heavily.

The last thing I remember before the black dragged me under its comforting blanket was strong arms catching me and lowering me gently to the cold concrete.


	3. Chapter 3: Why Shouldn't I?

**Ugh. This is really annoying. I'm editing this while watching the Olympics and it's taking me forever to finish because I'll be typing with one head phone in and I'll hear something interesting like that one guy that crashed in the Men's Road Cycling and won't get back to typing for another 15 minutes. So annoying. Oh great, now swimming is on. Let's waste more time. Anyway, chapter 3 is here.**

**Chapter 3: Why shouldn't I?**

I was unconscious one moment and awake the next. My eyes snapped open and I took a deep breath through my nose. Out of habit I took in every piece of information I could through all of my senses. My eyes saw a concrete ceiling and a ceiling of bars before that and I could also feel concrete underneath me. There was a chill to the air, and, being sensitive to any temperature, I shivered a little. The scents that came to me were those you would smell in a huge home. At least they were scents I would imagine belonging to a large house. I had a nasty taste in my mouth, like the kind when you wake up in the morning and you need to brush your teeth.

I was confused for a moment. _Wasn't I supposed to be sleeping in the forest? Or did I find a place to crash last night?_ I honestly couldn't remember. I tried to sit up and froze for a moment at the feel of a massive head ache and a searing pain in my chest and arm.

I looked down at myself as I finished pushing myself upright. _What the hell? Did I get into a fight?_ My clothes were bloody and damp. Strangely my shoes were gone. I felt a band of stiffness under my shirt and I peered under my collar to see ace bandages wrapped all around my chest and over my breasts. My right arm was also in a cast.

I blinked and rubbed my head in confusion. _What had happened last night that I couldn't remember getting these injuries or them being treated?_ It was a disconcerting feeling, knowing you were missing a big chunk of your memory that was possibly important. The last thing I remembered was walking in my wolf form towards where I'd left my clothes to Change last night.

I sighed and rubbed my temples before looking up and taking in my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the bars. On three sides and the ceiling were bars to form a cage. I sighed in irritation towards myself. "What did I do to end up in a cage?" I muttered and then detected the scent I should have picked up from the beginning. Werewolves.

I got to my feet, pushing away the pain of the action, and took another deep breath through my nose. Yup, I'd been right. The scent of werewolves permeated this entire house. My heart skipped a beat as I considered the possibility that I was back with the Family. _Oh God. They must have found me last night and dragged my ass back to wherever home was for the Family then_. Despair swamped me before I pushed it away. There was no sense in letting everyone know I was scared that I was back. That was another fun thing about being a werewolf: we could smell emotions and lies with our noses.

I strode over to the bars, gripped one with my good arm and pulled with all my strength. I gave up a few moments later when I realized it wasn't going anywhere and neither was I. This cage was made to hold enraged werewolves easily. Even the door to the cage was built extra strong with heavy duty hinges and a lock.

I then looked beyond the bars. I knew I was in a basement because all the walls were concrete, it was cold, there was only one set of stairs going up, and the only windows were the one-foot-by-six-inches kind. One quarter of the basement had been turned into a workout room, outfitted with every weight machine and tool invented and the other quarter was covered in wrestling mats. The other half of the basement was dedicated to the cage I was in and the entry area. There were two doors leading somewhere but I couldn't tell where.

I was just beginning to look earnestly for an escape when the basement door opened. I froze and turned my eyes and ears towards the three people walking down the stairs. Two of them walked lighter then the last one down the stairs. As they reached the bottom of the stairs I took in their appearances. The man in the front was six feet tall in his early-thirties with shoulder length black hair that he kept tied to the nape of his neck. He had bangs that fell into his eyes and said eyes and skin told of his Asian heritage. He had neat clothes, a white button up shirt, good quality dark blue jeans, and leather loafers.

The second person to come into view was the man with the heavy footsteps and was one that probably had a lot of women fawning over him. To say he was handsome would be an understatement. He was 6'4'' and blond with clear blue eyes. He was very well muscled and the leg hugging jeans and white T-Shirt made that obvious. This man's clothes were not as nice as the first man's: they were more middle class. I wondered briefly if he modeled before looking over at the last person.

I was shocked to say the least. Since my nose told me every one of them were werewolves I almost did a double take. The last person was a female werewolf like me. She looked to be late-twenties early-thirties like the blond man. She had almost white blond hair that went a little past her shoulder and pleasant looking features, although she didn't have much of a woman's figure. She had breasts that were on the small side and hips that curved only slightly. The woman wore hip and leg hugging jeans as well as a grey tank top and sneakers. Middle class looking clothes like the blond man. Then I saw the gold band and diamond ring on her left ring finger. I quickly glanced at the blond man's ring finger and confirmed my suspicions. These two were married.

I frowned slightly in confusion and took a look around the basement again. I had known something was off with how it looked at first but I couldn't put my finger on it until now. Everything was too clean, too well kept. The Family never took care of their property and belongings. And they certainly didn't allow their members to marry. Last I checked I was the only female werewolf in the Family. The only other one was in the Pack. I felt a niggling in my brain, like I was on the verge of remembering something. I grasped at it, but I couldn't get more out of it.

The Asian werewolf picked up a stool and sat down in it 5 feet from the cage. The man and woman flanked his sides. I half closed my eyes to hide my nervousness as all three of them looked me over from head to toe. I held my emotions in check so they wouldn't scent them and waited for them to talk first.

The Asian man looked me in the eye, but I was looking at his chin to avoid getting into a dominance battle where I would be forced to submit. I had my pride and I preferred to keep it thank you very much.

"How are you feeling?" the Asian man asked.

His voice rang with the unforgettable authority and the memory of last night came back to me. The mutts chasing me, the warehouse, Bud, strange werewolves showing up, fighting, Bud fleeing, and the nothing. I was immediately thankful that I hadn't been brought back to the Family.

My mind instantly deduced that the werewolves who had shown up last night and the ones before me were from the Pack. This was the group composed of a few werewolves who chose to live peacefully among humans, controlling their wolves and their urges; while the mutts choose to let their wolf's urges rule them, turning them into man-eaters. Now there were a few mutts who controlled their wolves like the Pack, but they chose to live solitary lives.

I looked the Asian man over and remembered that it was his voice that had said that he was the Pack Alpha. He was the werewolf the members of the Pack had to listen to without exception. He was different than I thought he would be. I thought he would be like Randall: huge, buff, intimidating, allowing absolutely no insubordination. Instead, here was a quiet, respectable man with a subtle outward show of authority and power. That didn't mean I didn't feel the urge to obey him any less than Randall. If anything I felt that urge more with the Pack Alpha.

"Fine," I answered the Alpha after a pause for my thoughts to process. Although I had plenty of questions, my habit of being quiet held my tongue.

The man nodded. "My name is Jeremy Danvers and you are now at Stonehaven. This is the Pack's home."

"I figured. Nice to meet you but was it necessary to put me in a cage?"

Jeremy nodded again. "It is for our protection. We don't know for sure if you're in full control of your wolf or if you intend to harm us." His voice was as cool and unreadable as last night. It was so strange to me. In my experience werewolves were temperamental and always on edge, but, then again, this is the Pack and this guy probably has an Alpha thing going on for him too.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead, trying to ease my headache. The light was only making it worse so I closed my eyes and brushed my hair so my eyes were shielded by my bangs. "Alright. I understand that. So, when are you gonna let me go?"

"We aren't," he answered simply.

I squinted up at Jeremy and finally met his dark almost black eyes with my green eyes. "Excuse me?" I asked politely, pushing back less mature and more rash replies.

He didn't even blink, just held me eyes. "Pack law states that we do not allow any werewolf under the age of 21 to care for themselves alone. You, if I am not mistaken, are 18." Jeremy's wolf was beginning to show in his eyes and mine rose to meet it, beginning a dominance game.

I straightened my shoulders and held his eyes with a haughty look even though I was struggling not to submit. Finally, I was forced to look away, but I kept my stance and look. "So you're going to hold me against my will."

"Only if you wish it to be." He continued at my questioning look. "For now you are under Pack protection, but it is my hope that someday you'll join the Pack. We will protect you and care for you. You'll be expected to contribute to the Pack when I wish you to, but it would never be anything I didn't think you could handle."

I opened my mouth to tell him what I thought of his offer, when I stopped and thought. Randall and the Family were after me so they could have their toy back, but they were also out to destroy the Pack. That had been made plenty clear in my years with them and since I was out to do as much damage to them as I could it meant that I wanted to stop them from eradicating the Pack. If I was with the Pack that would put me in the best place to protect them.

_Plus,_ I thought as a part of me softened and sadness tinged my heart, _When was the last time I'd felt safe?_

I was divided. The tough side of me said I didn't need help. I had been perfectly fine for years on my own and I certainly didn't need anyone now. The part of me that my wolf sided with was softer and smaller and it said I did need someone. It said that I hadn't been fine at any part of my life, even before I was Bitten. Why couldn't I feel a bit of the safety of a family, or the Pack?

Why _shouldn't _I join the Pack?

That was the question that decided it for me, for I had no answer to that question.

I was about to look up from the floor, which I'd been staring at while I'd been debating with myself, and answer when a hand suddenly appeared in my vision and touched my cheek.

I reacted out of pure instinct.

**Can you guess how Artemis reacts? It took me a good 30 minutes of debating with myself to decide that answer myself. Anyway, just a warning, the next chapter will be short. A little over 600 words, but after that chapter I'm going to be shooting for much longer chapters. Thank you for reading! Review, review, review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Don't Touch Me

**WARNING: SHORT CHAPTER AHEAD. I'm really sorry about this, but I'm posting a much needed really long chapter right after this one so no worries!**

**Chapter 4: Don't Touch Me**

I slapped the hand away and leaped back as far as I could, crying out, "Don't touch me!" My back slammed into the concrete wall and I curled up into a small ball, hugging my legs to myself as my hair fell in front of one eye.

I couldn't stop the memories. It had been so long since I've had a freak out and I was unprepared for this one.

No one touched me except when they wanted something. The pain came back. The hits, and burns, and cuts flashed back and the scars on my body grew tight and I feared they would tear open. I distantly heard someone trying to catch my attention and I smelled the overwhelming stench of my fear. No one touched me. No one touched me.

I began to rock back and forth with that thought playing over and over in my head. My mind was a mess of memories that rushed by and I knew I had to let them go by or this would become more painful and drawn out.

The memories were just beginning to flash in my head when I felt my arms flare in pain. I ignored it at first until my back bowed from a more understandable and physical pain. I fell on my hands and knees and panted as I felt a Change coming, brought on by my fear. I swore softly and tuned out the voice trying to talk to me. The sliver of rational mind I had left at the moment said that if I Changed now, not only would I be out of control, but the repair my body had done to my arms and ribs would probably be undone. Not to mention I just didn't have the energy needed to Change.

I took a deep breath, one right after another, and began to count backwards from 500. By the time I'd reached 273, my skin had stopped moving like there were worms underneath it and the pain was fading. I slowly moved to sit with my legs crossed and faced Jeremy and the other two.

Jeremy was right up next to the bars and looking slightly concerned. The woman looked sympathetic and the blond man looked hostile as he glared at me.

"Are you alright?" Jeremy asked.

I smiled a small smile and answered softly, "Yes. You surprised me. I don't take surprises very well."

He looked me over for a few moments before nodding slowly, "I'm sorry. I was only trying to get you to look at me."

I met his eyes in answer to his statement. "It's alright. You didn't know any better." I paused for a moment. "As for our conversation before I freaked out, you don't have to worry about me being a threat. You've done nothing to earn my anger and… I'd like to try out this Pack life. That is… if you'll let be under Pack protection for now until I decide."

I watched him for a reaction and got none. He thought for a few moments before asking, "What is your name?"

"Artemis Hunter. And please don't make fun of my name," I answered with a small smile.

Jeremy's lips twitched a bit and his eyes warmed fractionally. Given how unreadable he had been so far, I think this was his equivalent to grinning. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Artemis. It would be my pleasure to give you Pack protection."


	5. Chapter 5: Kindness

**TA DAAAAA! Here's the promised super long chapter so you better get ready to sit down for a while. I'm sorry it took me so long to finish. I'm trying really hard not to be those people who take a forever in updating their stories but some family stuff came up and I didn't work on this for 3 days. Anyway, I don't own any of the Women of the Otherworld books or their characters. I just own my OC's. Please don't sue me. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: Kindness**

Jeremy pulled some keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to the cage, motioning for me to step through when I didn't budge. I barely stopped myself from taking a hesitant step before smoothly moving through the cage door.

Jeremy turned without another word and went up the stairs. I was about to follow him when a wave of light-headedness swept through me, causing me to grit my teeth and hold on to one of the cage's bars. Years of practice at not showing any signs of weakness or emotion took over, forcing me to keep my shoulders straight, head up, and breathing deep and even when all I wanted to do was sit on the floor and put my head between my knees.

I was about to move forward after a moment's pause, dizziness be damned, when a rough hand shoved me forward. Instinct took over again as someone began to growl, "Move i-". They didn't finish because I only stumbled one step before I swung around into a roundhouse kick. I hit the tall golden man's head solidly and he in turn hit the bars solidly. He didn't reel from the sudden attack like some werewolves, but came after me in less than a blink. He swung his fists after me so fast humans would only see a blur and they would have all hit normal werewolves, but not me. I easily dodged each attack with my superior speed before I saw one attack come at me that I knew that should dodge, but wouldn't.

See, if I dodged this attack this man would end up slamming his fist into the concrete wall behind me and shattering his arm. While if I took it… well, my ribs were already damaged, so no real big loss. Plus, it would be a bad start if a Pack member got hurt because of an overconfident attack I refused to take.

I mentally sighed and stopped moving. The fist hit me smack dab on my breast bone, causing the air to rush out of my lungs and several cracks to resound in the air. The power of the attack also lifted me off the ground and pinned me to the concrete wall. I gritted my teeth and barely held back the agonized groan. _Damn, my ribs would've been better off if I'd Changed earlier. For a rookie he's got a lot of strength._ And then I looked up and caught the look on his face briefly. Anger was there, but so was confusion. I could almost hear his thoughts. _Why did I suddenly hit her when she was dodging so quickly?_

I sighed again, _Yup, rookie. Doesn't even realize his mistake._ The most annoying part of that was that the part of me that wants to correct whatever it sees wrong wanted me to tell him his mistake, to teach him to be better. I mentally snorted and the idiocy behind that urge as I slid down the wall and held my ribs in one hand.

I was still watching the blond man and saw him pull back his fist to continue fighting me, or trying to, but his confusion caused him to hesitate. Another huge mistake. His chest was wide open for a barrage of attacks, but I didn't attack. I just waited.

In that pause, two people called out, "Clay!" The woman shouted it and Jeremy just called calmly. Now the blond man, Clay, tensely lowered his arm and stepped back reluctantly. If looks could kill, the glare he was giving me would have fried me on the spot, but, alas, I don't die that easily.

Jeremy stood at the bottom of the stairs with his hands in his pockets. Though neither his facial expression nor his body language gave any hint of it, I could tell he was displeased. "Clayton," he said softly. "She is under Pack protection. I think it's implied that not only is she protected from outside forces, but also inside forces in there be a need."

Clayton's jaw worked up and down, like he wanted to argue but knew he'd already crossed a line, before he turned on heel and stormed past Jeremy and up the stairs, slamming the door and stomping to some part of the house above. While the woman and Jeremy looked after him, I poked my ribs and felt the new tender spots. There were probably two, may be three, new fractures or breaks. I thought briefly of the inconvenience all the fractured/broken ribs would be before glancing down at the cast on my arm that had prevented me from injuring the man further than my first instinctual attack. _Broken ribs aren't as bad as a broken arm or leg_, I thought to myself. Then, I glanced up at the ceiling in the general direction of where Clayton went. _May be I should apologize_, I mused. _It was both our faults that the fight happened. Even though I think I got the worse result of it. I got more broken ribs while he got reprimanded. But maybe that is worse. What does the Pack do for punishment?_

I was taken out of my thoughts by the women's voice asking, "Are you alright?" She'd moved closer when I was lost in my thoughts and I silently cursed myself for not tracking her movement.

I nodded and moved the hand holding my ribs to my side. "I'm fine," I answered in an unreadable voice. I wasn't angry, that would've been pointless. Like I said before, it was both our faults. But it was a habit to use that voice. Any emotion from the Toy back in the Family would've earned me punishment.

The woman didn't look like she believed me, but it was Jeremy who spoke. "It's a rule in this house that no one lies. I'll let it go this one time since you didn't know, but the next time I will not. So, to repeat Elena, are you alright?"

The light-headedness that showed up before Clay pushed me came back with its vengeful friend nausea. I placed a hand on the wall and took a deep breath through my nose, which wasn't very smart given the protest my ribs screamed at me. All of this was done with practiced nonchalance, but Jeremy's sharp eyes flickered to both motions before meeting my eyes. Even the woman, Elena Jeremy had called her, seemed to sense something.

I gritted my teeth as I felt the nausea get worse until I was just barely holding it back. All of this happened in a few seconds, and in that time frame Jeremy was in front of me and reaching a hand towards my shoulder. My hand shot towards his wrist without consulting my brain, but I pulled it to a screeching halt with my fingers a hair away from closing around his wrist. There was a tense moment where no one moved or breathed with the exception of Jeremy, who was as calm as ever and was waiting for me to do something.

For a moment, my mind and instincts warred with each other. Instincts said, "Danger! Enemy! Attack!" while my mind said, "No! No danger! I think he's trying to help!" There was a big emphasis on 'I think'.

I had no clue what he was going to do. If he was going to punish me for fighting with Clayton now or punish me for showing weakness like the Family, but my heart, the quiet sliver of emotion that had remained deeply buried over the years so I could remain sane, said Jeremy wouldn't do that. It was such a shock to actually have my emotions alive after so long. Sure I felt the instinctual fear and panic, but to feel happiness or even a little sadness had been beyond me ever since I was 6 years old and my mother died. I almost sobbed with relief at the fact, and I even felt my eyes sting. I wanted so badly to regain my composure, but that would involve pushing my emotions, my heart, back and I was afraid that I would never get them back if I did that. So I did the next best thing and put on a mask. I still felt the relief, happiness, and the sadness of what I had missed over the years, but my face showed none of this. Even my wolf sent the impression of jumping for joy, something she'd never done before. I wanted to smile at her antics like a parent does to a child.

Remembering my hand and that a minute or two had passed, I forced my hand to relax and pull back. "I'm sorry," I murmured. "But please don't touch me." Jeremy respectfully withdrew his hand and I was grateful for that. I honestly didn't know how I would react if he did touch me out of kindness like my heart thought he would. Would I attack because my body perceived him as a threat? Or would I break down crying at the fact of a stranger being kind to me? It was scary that I didn't know.

I straightened slightly now that the nausea was gone though the light-headedness remained. Jeremy looked at me expectantly and I actually sighed. "You just couldn't let it go, could you?" I asked. His lips twitched and his dark eyes lightened a bit. He was grinning. Jeremy shook his head slightly. I sighed again. "I hate talking. Why can't you read my mind? It'd be easier that way. As for your earlier question, it's nothing that won't heal." I was purposely vague to see what he would do. His eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch, but he nodded and motioned for me to follow him as he went back up the stairs. I did so.

We came out in a big foyer with the front door to the left and the door to the kitchen along the wall to my right. There was also a bit fancy looking stair case in front of me that led up stairs. I couldn't help but notice that the house, Stonehaven, reflected the man that ran it. It was magnificent and powerful and unique, but in a more subtle way. Jeremy moved towards the kitchen where the heady scent of food overwhelmed my senses, causing my head to spin and my stomach to grumble.

Jeremy looked back and I looked down, feeling embarrassment for the first time in forever. I didn't like that feeling. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked.

I hesitated, thought about lying for a moment, before answering, "A few days. Depending on how long I was done there."

His lips turned down in an almost imperceptible frown, looking down at my thin body, "You were only unconscious for a day. And since we're on the subject another rule is to never miss a meal. A hungry wolf is an uncontrollable wolf. Clear?" I nodded as we stepped into the kitchen.

My eyes instantly went to the several bubbling pots on the massive stove. The oven also had the scent of baking bread coming from it. My mouth began to water. Movement caught my eye as a vaguely familiar man turned towards us from stirring a pot. It was the man who I had ran into last night. He now wore a very expensive looking shirt, slacks, and leather eyes met mine and saw the recognition flare in his eyes. He smiled at me a… beautiful smile. I felt the urge to smile back but controlled it. "Glad to see you okay," he said in a deep, rumbling, strong voice. I remembered that voice calling for me to wait last night. He then turned to Jeremy and waved a hand at the pots, "Dinner's almost ready. Just gotta get it on to the plates."

Jeremy nodded and went to help him while Elena moved past and to a cupboard. She waved me over and, once I was by her side, she started stacking plates and a few cups in my hands. She grabbed the silverware and a few more cups before walking through the open doorway into the dining room. It had a big long wooden table and seven chairs around it. I watched as Elena moved around the table, setting it, before mimicking her so I didn't make any mistakes. Once the table was set, Jeremy and the buff man came in carrying platters piled high with noodles and bowls filled with thick meaty sauce. One more trip brought out two baskets piled high with bread and a big bowl filled with salad. I stood in the corner, unsure for once on what to do as Elena went to the door from the dining room to the wide hall way and yelled, "Dinner!"

Child squeals of delight answered her yell. Elena smiled as the sound of little feet came from up stairs and the teasing voice of Clayton followed them. The Children's laughter got closer until they burst into the room and instantly went to Elena. "Mommy!" the two kids yelled. She scooped them up and hugged them. The kids were twins, with golden blond hair and bright blue eyes like Clayton who was obviously the father. One was a girl and she seemed to be to vocalist of the two since she was squealing her delight while the boy hugged and kissed his mom. Their scent reached me and I realized that not only was the boy a born werewolf, but the girl also had the faint scent of wolf that said she hadn't Changed yet.

Shock consumed me. The Pack had werewolf children. They had a female werewolf child. There was another werewolf child besides Victoria. At the thought of Victoria I felt my anxiety double then what it was when I woke up.

Jeremy said I'd only been unconscious for about a day. I needed to get back into the city and pick up Victoria like yesterday. I was worried. What would the sitter do now that I was late? I paid her to watch Victoria for a day so I could Change. I really didn't know what the sitter would do. That scared me. Even my wolf was sending the impression of pacing and anxiousness. She didn't like the fact that our cub was away from us. I told her we would go for Victoria after everyone had gone to sleep. She sent the impression of impatience and worry.

A boy's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "You're the girl who was in the basement, right?" The boy was standing in front of his father, who had come in while I was thinking. His questioning big blue eyes and his face held innocence. I saw both his parents open their mouths to tell him to be quiet I guess, but I beat them to it.

I nodded and smiled a little, "Yeah. That was me."

"Why?" the girl demanded from her mother's arms. Her parents mouths opened again. I beat them again.

"Because I was hurt," I answered simply. "I got into a fight yesterday."

"A fight?" they both gasped. "Why?" the twins said in unison again. I couldn't tell if that was cute or creepy.

The boy carried on without his sister this time, "But you're a werewolf like Mommy and Daddy. And you're a girl. Why would you be in a fight?"

I shook my head, "I didn't want to fight. They attacked me and I defended myself. That's all."

"Did you win?" the girl asked, shock still written on the twins face.

I couldn't help the full on smile that crept on to my face. "Of course. You should see the other guys. They're much worse off than me." That was true seeing how two of the three were most likely dead even if the Pack did let them go: Bud would've killed them for failing to win against the Pack. And Bud himself had to flee.

The entire time we spoke I could feel Jeremy and the buff man evaluating me and my reaction to the kids, seeing if I would be a threat to the cubs of the Pack.

The twins gasped in amazement and Elena took that pause to redirect their attention. "Alright. That's enough you two. Dinner's on the table and it's time to eat." Even though they were Unchanged, they rushed and sat at the table to get their food like proper werewolves.

Jeremy motioned for me to sit in the chair in between Elena and buff man. I still haven't got his name. He reached for my plate and heaped it high with noodles and meat sauce. Then the table fell silent as we went about the arduous task of filling our stomachs. The only talk was from the twins, which I learned were named Katherine, or Kate, Danvers and Logon Danvers. I was uneasy and mechanically put food in my mouth. I was starving, but I reigned in the urge to shovel the food away. I was uneasy because I kept thinking of how the Pack would react if I brought Victoria back with me. Would they send us away? Elena was like the Alpha female here. Didn't the wolf Alpha female kill any pups that weren't hers in the wild? Or would they be okay with Victoria? I mean, she was only a baby, and a female werewolf at that. But I just didn't know. I sighed as I thought of how much I didn't know things any more.

Once everyone was full, the buff man roped me in for clean up duty. We picked up all the dirty plates, platters, bowls, etc. and brought them to the sink. He filled it up with hot water and opened the dish washer. We were just getting started in scrubbing when he made a disgusted sound. I looked up quickly, but discreetly, to see if I had done something wrong.

He smiled, "I'm sorry. I don't know where my manners went. I'm Antonio Sorrentino." He put a dish away and held up his hand to shake.

I glanced up at his facial expression to see if this was a trick before shaking his hand. "I'm Artemis Hunter."

"Interesting name," he murmured, and when I gave him my dead stare he just laughed. "So, where are you from?" When he had stopped laughing and we were both washing dishes again.

I thought for a moment of not answering since I wasn't allowed to lie, but saw no harm in answering. "L.A."

"You're a long way from home," he remarked.

"What home?" I murmured without realizing it. I only knew I'd said it aloud when Antonio stopped moving. I looked up to why and saw him staring at me. I looked away and picked up the next dish. "Sorry, didn't mean to say that."

After a second Antonio went back to working. He paused before asking quietly, "What was your ho- What was it like for you in L.A.?" I shrugged, pushing those memories away. Antonia sensed I didn't want to say anything more on the subject and changed it. "Did you know I have seven sons?" I blinked up in shock at him and he laughed again. He nodded as if I'd asked a question, "Yup. I'm not kidding. All of them are currently at my house in Catskills."

"You don't live here?" I asked, not realizing I was being drawn into the conversation.

He shook his head, "No. This, you could say, is the Danver's home. That's their last name by the way. This place is too small for everyone to be here more than a few days at a time. Not to mention its chaos when everyone is here. My youngest is 14 and the oldest is 32, Clayton and Elena's age. Of course people don't think Nick, my oldest, is my son. They think we're brother because our werewolf aging is so slow. Though, despite his years, I think Nick is still as young as Henry, my youngest. The trouble all of them get into, I swear, it'll put me in an early grave." He said the last part looking up, shaking his head, but a smile and love in his eyes.

"Are they all really blood related to you?" I asked, still quite unbelieving that this man had _seven_ sons.

Again, another head shake, "No. Over the years we've come across werewolf children and have taken them in. I raise them and send them to school and try my best to put them on the best path I can. Nick jokes around and says that our home is The Home for Trouble Werewolf Children."

"What are their names?"

He put down the plate he was washing and the scrubber, dried his hands on his jeans, and then pulled out his wallet. He pulled a picture of seven men/boys playing out on a lawn. He pointed to each individual one. The first one he pointed to was a man who looked almost exactly like Antonio except he was slightly taller and less muscled. He was smiling as he struggled to pin a blond haired man. "This is Nicholas Sorrentino. My son. He's in charge of the house while I'm gone."

His finger moved to the blond man. He was tan and my eyes immediately zoomed in on him and I got the impression my wolf was looking at the blond man as well. He had golden hair that was slightly different than Clays and darker blue eyes. He was grinning and fought to shove Nick off of him. I noticed that two of his fingers were gone at the second joint and wondered how he lost them. "This is Reece Williams. He's from Australia. He's 20 years old and the kind of the unofficial Alpha of the younger generation, seeing how he's the oldest. The youngsters defer to him mostly."

He pointed to a skinny boy with a mop of brown hair attacking two younger boys. "This is Noah Stillwell, he's 17. His dad, Joey Stillwell, was actually a part of the Pack 30 years ago. He was probably 7 years old at the time. Then Joey left with his father when they wanted no part in the battle for Alpha position back then. That was an ugly time back then. Anyway when the Pack showed up in Alaska to deal with a couple of mutts we found Joey and his son Noah. Joey bolted and left his son and we took him in."

His finger moved to the red head moving to tackle Nick from Reece. He had a dash of freckles across his nose and cheeks and very bright green eyes. "This is Kyle Moore." He pointed to the burnet being attacked by Noah. His hair was lighter than Noah's dark brown hair and there seemed to be natural red streaks in the boy's hair. "And this is Henry Moore. They're brothers who came seeking our help when their father died and the mutts came after them because their father had died with debts towards those mutts. Kyle and Ryan were 13 and 8 then. Now they're 16 and 11 and Kyle's had his first Change at 15."

He moved a teenaged black haired boy who was helping Noah. He had shaggy hair that hung in his brown eyes in the picture. He seemed more reserved than the others with a smile instead of a grin. He was average, not too skinny not too buff, not too tall not too short. "Michael King. He ran into Karl Marsten, another Pack Werewolf, a few years back just wandering around and Karl brought him back. He's the scholar of the family. Always in the library reading books and doing extra credit work for school. I've had to restrict the number of hours he can have in the library or we'd never see him. He 14, about to turn 15, and he's starting to show signs of his first Change."

"Then shouldn't you be at home with him?" I asked absentmindedly.

"No," he said. "When his body starts trying to Change then I need to be there. And he won't start doing that for another month." Antonio moved to the last boy, "And this is Ryan Hill, he's 13. Nick calls him the Energizer Bunny from hell. He's forbidden to have any candy or soda or anything sugary without asking. This kid is bad enough without the unneeded sugar and when he does get into sugar eyes literally bouncing off the walls. He mastered that little trick a few years back. We hope he'll grow out of the energy once his werewolf metabolism kicks in."

I was looking over the boys as he finished. They were all wrestling and having a good time if the grins and smiles on their faces had anything to say about it. They seemed so happy and carefree, and all of them werewolves. Nick, Reece, Noah, and Kyle were the only ones who had Changed already.

My eyes strayed back to Reece. The dimple showing on one cheek as he grinned, his nose, which was crooked in two places, showing that he'd had his fair share of fights, the strong square jaw that had a light stubble growing on it, and his deep blue that shined with laughter and happiness. My wolf sent me an impression of curiosity towards Reece, like she wanted to meet him.

Before I could think on it, southern drawl sounded behind us. "I don't think you should be talking to her about the boys, Antonio." We turned to see Clayton standing in the doorway, glaring at me with his arms crossed. I kept my face carefully blank.

Antonio frowned, "Why's that, Clay?"

Clay barred his teeth at me in wolf aggression, "Because she's dangerous. She's had training and she's a mutt. She could easily blab the information to another mutt." I hid my indignation easily, but I started to feel anger and I knew that if it grew any more they'd be able to scent it in the air.

Antonio's eyes darkened, "That's enough Clayton. You don't know anything about her." His voice was steely and I couldn't help but blink in shock and look up at Antonio in confusion. He was defending me and I didn't understand why. I was a perfect stranger and everything Clay accused me of.

Clayton sneered, "And you do?"

Antonio stiffened and I heard a growl in his voice, "Be careful what you say next, Clayton. You're being disrespectful to not only myself but to Artemis as well."

The blond snorted, "I don't owe her any respect and I don't have to know her to know she's a mutt." With one last look, a look that said he would kill me if he could, he turned on his heel and left the door way.

I stared at the floor before remembering that I wanted to apologize and jogging after him. I followed his loud footsteps with my silent ones and caught him in the foyer about to go up the stairs. He had one hand on the banister and a foot on a step when he saw me standing several feet from him waiting. Surprise flashed in his eyes as he realized he hadn't heard me follow him before his eyes hardened and he glared at me. "What do you want?" he growled menacingly.

"To apologize," I answered simply, not moving or changing my facial expression. He waited, not about to ask what for or lower his guard by responding. I continued, "I'm sorry I kicked you in the basement. I wasn't able to stop myself from reacting."

"If you expect me to say I'm sor-" he started to snarl, indignation making his back and shoulders stiffen.

"I don't," I said, interrupting him. Again, a slight flash of surprise. He wasn't expecting this. I kept going, "That doesn't mean I don't want you to. I just know you won't." I turned on heel and walked back to the kitchen where Antonio was listening in with his werewolf hearing. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if Elena and Jeremy were also listening. I stopped in the doorway and looked over my shoulder and saw Clayton still standing at the bottom of the stairs. "By the way, if you keep your arm in more by an inch, your right hook will have more power."

He snarled in response to my advice, "You don't know anything, idiot."

I stiffened at my most hated insult but kept my anger out of my voice. "You're loss."

Antonio nodded in approval as I came back to the sink, "Well done."

I said nothing and we finished the dishes in silence. Antonio started up the dishwasher. He held out his hand for me to take, "Come on. I'll show you to your room."

I looked from his hand to his face and back again. It was one thing to shake his hand, but to hold his hand? I wasn't sure if I like that. Wolf pushed me to taking his hand after a pause and sent feelings of comfort. I lightly laid my fingers in his palm and shuddered when his fingers closed around mine. My normally cold hand was completely lost in his warm big hand. It felt… good. I don't think I'd ever had anyone hold my hand. Not my mother or father when I was a child and especially not in the Family where the kindest touch you'll get is a slap. It was strange. My hand felt so sensitive right now: as if I could feel each line and crease and ridge in his hand. I could also feel comfort from the touch, like just by holding my hand Antonio was reassuring me that he was there and I was safe and warm. I'd never…_ ever_ felt anything like this before.

While this was all trying, and failing, to be processed through my head, Antonio had led me up stairs and past rooms, telling me whose rooms were whose and were the hall bathroom was and not seeing my turmoil. I hung my head slightly as we walked and wasn't listening to him. I could figure it out by scents later.

He opened the last door on the right and we walked in. Antonio waved his arm, gesturing to the entire room, "This is Elena's old room before she moved into Clay's. The bathroom's right through that door so you won't have to use the hall bathroom. So, what do you think of it?" He still hasn't looked back at me and I wasn't listening to him. When I didn't answer, Antonio frowned and turned to see why. He froze and his eyes widened. "Artemis? What's wrong? Please tell me what's wrong." He was suddenly towering in front of me with his hands holding my cheeks, his thumbs moving to wipe something off my cheeks. It was then that I realized I was crying. His hands were so incredibly gentle on my face and, for once, I wasn't intimidated by someone being so much bigger than me standing close to me and touching me. If anything, it did the opposite and made me feel safe.

My eyes fluttered close and I took a deep breath that sounded suspiciously like a sob. "Why?" I whispered.

"Why what, Artemis?" I could hear the confusion in his voice.

I opened my eyes and my black eyes met his chocolate brown ones, "Why are you being so nice? Why are you being so gentle? Why wasn't I punished for fight with Clay? Why did you guys help me in the first place? I don't understand how you guys can be so… so… kind. It's not normal." Another breath/sob. Even my wolf was sending impressions of confusion. We'd never had kindness shown towards us.

Comprehension flooded Antonio's eyes and he did something I never expected. He pulled me into a hug. I froze in shock before I went limp again, crying harder than before. It felt so, so good to be sheltered by his strong arms. Without my realizing, my hands crept up and held fistfuls of Antonio's shirt, completely forgetting that it was probably worth more money than I will ever have. Antonio made soothing sounds and rubbed my back. The world tipped and I found myself being carried to the bed. I was starting to calm down, but this new act of kindness sent me into another round. I can't remember being carried any more than I could remember my hand being held or being hugged. The biggest shock was that Antonio didn't lose patience with me. He didn't get upset that I was staining his shirt with my tears and snot or get fed up that I was taking too long to calm down.

After a time, my sobs turned into hiccups and sniffles, and still Antonio held me and rubbed my back. "I'm sorry," I whispered into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to break down like that."

I felt Antonio shake his head, "Don't be. Don't ever be." It was a few more minutes before he pulled back and I looked down, to the sides, up, anywhere but at Antonio. I was too embarrassed and scared to look into his eyes. "Artemis, look at me," he ordered softly. Being the one who knows her ways around orders, I looked at him for less than a blink of an eye before looking away again. Antonio sighed before gently grasping my chin and forcing me to look at him. After struggling to hold his gaze for a few seconds, I looked away, my wolf recognized Antonio as our superior and neither of us had an issue submitting to him. At least at the moment we didn't. I had a good hunch I would go back to my unreadable cold self tomorrow. If I was even here tomorrow, that is.

"Artemis, in the Pack, we don't do handshakes and pats on the back for greetings or congratulations," Antonio explained. "We hug each other and wrestle and generally just play around. Werewolves are touch based creatures. We crave being touched and reassured, especially in the Pack. And as for why we're being kind to you is because you need it. Just because you have people after you and don't have anybody to care for you is why we took you in and are caring for you. Just because you need it."

I nodded awkwardly in his hand. "But why are you gentle? Why did you defend me earlier? Why did you put up with me just now?"

There was a pause where Antonio's hand left my chin and cupped my cheek, "Because there's no need to stand alone. Because I wanted to. Because you looked like you needed it. And the fact that that was your reaction tells me you really needed it." I was silent and Antonio pulled back. He pointed over towards the bathroom door and the bags I hadn't noticed before laying right next to it. "Elena went and got you a few things. Go ahead and take a shower and go to bed afterwards. You must be tired. I'll be in the study with Jeremy down stairs." I nodded again and he stood up and left saying a soft good night before the door closed.

I sat there for a few minutes before moving to the bags and looking through them. One of them had sneaker my size, another had underwear and underwear and socks. The next had a toothbrush, mouthwash, floss, toothpaste, a hair brush, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and tampons in it, and the last had a set of flannel pajamas and three jeans and T-Shirts. I grabbed the darkest set of clothes and the bathroom bag before moving through the door.

I turned the water on as hot as I could stand before stripping and stepping under the water. Hissing, I stood under the onslaught without making another sound. Once I was used to it I picked up the body wash and enjoyed the fact that all three cleaners were scent-less. It's uncomfortable to walk around smelling chemicals on yourself. I stood there for a while, just letting the water beat my head, shoulders, and back.

The thought that someone could be nice to me was so foreign. Even before I had been Bitten, my father showed no gentleness to me. My mother hadn't either. If anything she'd been the cruelest person I'd known. At least I knew the others were against me.

I thought of how strange it would be if everyone in the Pack was nice like Antonio. Of course I knew everyone wasn't. Look at Clayton. But I was thinking about everyone never hitting me again, never leaving a scar like everyone else in my life seems to have done. I flashbacked to the picture of Antonio's boys wrestling and playing without a care in the world, smiling. That's what I wanted for Victoria. She was still a baby and hadn't been traumatized by her captivity yet. And I planned on keeping it that way as much as I could. The Family was never going to touch her again was what I promised her mother on her death bed.

The anxiety came back again. I couldn't keep that vow until I got her from the sitter tonight and she was safe in my arms again.

I turned off the water with a sharp turn of my wrist and got out. I took my time brushing my teeth until they were pearly white before breaking out the floss. I purposely wasted time so I didn't have that much time to wait for everyone to fall asleep. I was patient when hunting, but when Victoria was involved that particular virtue goes out the window. When I was done with my teeth, I would've surprised if there was a single germ in my mouth. Then I wrapped myself in a towel, picked up my clothes, and went into the bedroom. I placed my clothes on the bed with my new hairbrush in hand and got on to my knees on the bed to begin the impossible task of brushing my hair.

I pulled all of my hair over one shoulder and began at the tips that rested on my thighs with a small sigh. It was an inconvenience, but I'd never cut it. It was my one vanity among my scarred body and I'd never slaughter it.

It took 30 minutes but I finally had my hair like silk. I was about to put in my customary braid when I realized I didn't have a hair tie. Just to make sure I looked through each bag again before making a sound of disappointment. Though I loved it, my hair got in my way a lot. Not to mention Victoria loved to pull on it.

I sighed and then dropped the towel to pull on the skinny jeans, T-Shirt, the thick hoodie, and the sneakers. After I flipped off the lights, I sat cross leg in the middle of my bed with a ram rod straight back and crossed arms. I closed my eyes and began listen to the sounds of the house.

There was a quiet breeze blowing by the house, rusting the leaves in the trees and bushes. I heard a creak of a bed from one of the rooms. I think it was the twin's if I remembered correctly from not listening to Antonio. One of them must have turned over in their sleep. Curious to see if I still had this ability, I focused my hearing on just the twin's rooms and let my breath out very slowly. After a moment the sound of two soft drum beats reached my ears and I smiled tenderly. The sound of the twin's quiet heartbeats made me happy. I did this to Victoria while she slept and I was up on guard. I would just listen to her small heart well into the night and count the steady beat well into the night until the sound lulled me to sleep. Of course Victoria would be sleeping next me and I didn't have to strain my ears to hear her heartbeat. I listened for a moment and my smile grew when the twin's heartbeats synchronized. I'd never really seen anything like the twins. But, then again, I haven't seen a lot of things in the world.

A dark thought came to mind. The Family was set on eradicating the Pack, but I knew they would try to keep Elena if they could. _And what about Katie?_ I thought. They would also keep her. She wouldn't be able to fight off the men like I could. She wouldn't stand a chance. Her mind and powerful spirit would break. _The men would rape her the first night they had her_, I thought with a burning anger and a shudder of fear. And they would kill little genius Logan. They had no use for him so they'd kill him or use him to control Elena. _Or maybe they'll disregard his gender and make him they're Toy_, suggested the ever so helpful cold logical corner of my mind and I shuddered more violently. They would do that too. Not even little Logan would be spared that torture and half death. I gritted my teeth and made another vow for life. This one almost exactly like the one I made Victoria's mother.

_Even if the Pack kicks me out I will protect the Pack and, above all else, Kate and Logan to spare them that horrible life the Family would bring them._

With that I unfocused my hearing and picked up the sound of quiet murmuring from another bedroom. I picked Clay's southern drawl and Elena calm voice. I was tempted for a moment to listen in, but I figured that would be rude since I wouldn't want anyone to listen in on me.

I waited to hear anything from Jeremy and Antonio, but, after not hearing anything for half an hour, I figured they must have gone to bed.

Then, I did that thing with my ears where I was listening to everything. My head was filled with nothing but sounds as I breathed in and out and in and out. I guess you could say it was meditating and I would say it was too for the lack of a better term. I could hear the rustle of a mouse in the forest surrounding Stonehaven. I could hear the wing beat of an owl swooping down to scoop up said mouse and the squeak before the owl snapped mouse's neck. I could hear each individual leaf rustling and, if I wanted to, I could hear the insects inside the trees or foliage.

After who knows how long of listening I opened my eyes a crack and saw something glowing out of the corner of my eye. I turned only my eyes slowly and saw a pair of half closed glowing gold eyes. I felt my lip curl a bit to scare off the other predator before I realized I was looking at my reflection. My eyes were eerily glowing in the dark and there was something off about my face. I looked more predatory. It was so slight that I couldn't tell what it was that had actually changed.

I let my hearing meditation go and watched with interest as my eyes slowly dimmed to my black eyes and my face went back to be cold and indifferent. I thought for a moment why I changed like that. It was the first time I'd noticed this occurring. _Maybe it's because I harmonize myself with my wolf to hear so much and I then look faintly like her as an effect_, I mused before I looked at the clock and saw it was ten thirty. I listened for one last time through the house, but even Clay and Elena had gone to sleep.

Time to go.

I moved to the window and undid the latch and slowly pushed the window up an inch a minute so as to avoid any screech and other noises. Once the window was open I pushed the screen out and pulled it inside. Then, I swung one leg over the windowsill before moving both toes to balance on an outcropping of rock. I lowered the window down just as slowly until it was within an inch of closing and left it like that. This way I didn't have to struggle to open the window from the outside.

With the practice of years I pushed off with my toes into a back flip and landed in a soundless crouch. Then, I dashed off with all my speed into the forest on silent feet. My ribs let me know they didn't appreciate the running, but I pushed the pain away. I gave the house a wide space before running silently parallel to the mile long gravel driveway. The fifteen foot tall iron gate stood like a silent sentry at the base of the driveway and I didn't slow my speed a bit before leaping effortlessly over it, doing a flip and purposefully grazing a finger against the imposing spikes on top of the gate. I landed on pavement and I took the moment to look left and right. The road curved slightly and looked the same in either direction and I frowned. Which way?

Just then I heard footstep coming up from the driveway and I melted into the shadows as someone climbed up the gate. Antonio dropped to the ground and looked around quickly. My frown deepened. Apparently I hadn't gotten away unnoticed. I weighed the options of revealing my presence and figuring out how to get back to New York or hiding and wasting time trying to find my way. My anxiety won out and I stepped forward.

Antonio saw the movement and whipped around to face me. On his face was a war of anger, worry, and fear. "What are you doing out here, Artie? You're not supposed to leave Stonehaven." He hissed.

I cocked my head at the nickname but chose to ignore it. "I need to get something," I answered. Not exactly a lie. I have to get Victoria's baby bag as well as Victoria. A half truth.

Antonio sighed, exasperated, "We can get it tomorrow. Come on. Jeremy will want to know you tried to leave." He held out his hand, but I didn't reach for it.

I shook my head. "No. It can't wait. I've already wasted most of tonight to try and get away without anyone noticing. I'm coming back, Antonio. Believe me when I say that. I just have to get something very important to me. Can you tell me how I can get to New York? You can follow me if you want. I don't care. I'm coming back anyway."

I saw his nose flare and I could tell he was scenting for a lie and he frowned when he didn't pick up any. "I can't let you leave, Artemis. Jeremy gave orders that we aren't to let you leave the property."

I sighed, but didn't get angry at Antonio. He has to follow his Alpha's orders. "Fine," I said. "Follow if you like, but don't even try catching me. You won't be able to." With that I dashed past him in a jet of air and I heard him gasp in surprise at my speed. He turned and I was already 100 meters down the road and looking back at him. As I expected, he turned and ran after me, but he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

I listened as he told, I assume, Jeremy that I was out and running away. He repeated everything I had said word for word to him before saying he understood. Then he just stopped following me and I looked behind to see him looking after me. I frowned before I realized he was waiting for the others to come so they could beat me to New York and catch me then. Not a bad strategy, but New York is a big city with a lot of ways in. Or maybe they'll follow my scent trail.

_Either way you need to make some time_, I thought to myself and picked up to my sprint, leaving Antonio behind. I prayed I'd taken the right road towards some town and from there I could figure out how to get to New York.

I found a town after two minutes of running and slowed to a stop outside a McDonalds. I walked into the 24-hour fast food restaurant and walked up to the tired cashier. "Excuse me," I said. The bored man looked up but said nothing. "I was wondering if you could give me directions to New York. I'm a bit lost." The man sighed as if it was so much effort to think before rattling off directions. I thanked him before leaving.

I sprinted the entire way to New York, following the man's directions, and it still took 30 minutes before I actually saw it's lights and another ten to actually get on to its streets. I pulled up my hood and glanced over my shoulder to see if I recognized any of the Pack or any suspicious people that looked they were from the Family. I did this every minute of so and wound my way towards the sitter's apartment. I didn't even look at the sites like I normally do or the restaurants. I was too focused on getting to Victoria. The fact that I speed up my walking escaped my notice as well.

I turned down a less busy side street lined with cars. I approached the door of an apartment complex and looked again for anyone following me before going inside. Silently ascending the stairs, I moved to door 3B and knocked. I heard the sounds of a TV on the news channel and sound of grumbling and footsteps coming towards the door. There was a pause where the sitter looked through the peep hole before unlocking her dozen locks and opening her door.

The twenty year old woman glowered at me. Her brown hair was in a rats nest and her clothes were crinkled from probably falling asleep on the couch. "What do you want?" she demanded.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm here for Victoria," I answered coolly. "Where is she?"

The woman blinked at me in recognition before glaring at me. "It's about time you came to get the brat." She let me in nonetheless and led me around the clutter to a small bedroom. "You only paid me to watch her for one day. It's almost been two days. You're lucky I didn't take to CPS or some orphanage."

My anger flared and I looked at her with half closed eyes and smiled menacingly. The woman paled and instinctively taking a step back. "You're very lucky you didn't do anything so foolish," I purred, my threat making her gulp and look at the phone and door. I turned away before she actually did decide to call the cops and opened the bedroom door quietly. I smiled as I saw Victoria sleeping on her belly in the middle of the bed. She was in her pink onsie with her pink binky in her mouth. She was a 9 month year old baby and she was freaking adorable.

I smiled tenderly as I went to sit on the bed. I ran a hand over her fine silky black hair and her super soft chubby baby cheek. She stirred but didn't wake up. I got up and put Victoria's baby bag on my back before awkwardly scooping up the sleeping baby gently. My cast was becoming a bit of an inconvenience. She made a sound of irritation but sucked her binky a few times before quieting down again. I moved out of the room and pulled out some money and handing it to the woman as I passed her. "For the second day," I murmured and she nodded in understanding. I closed the door silently and heard the woman put on her locks hurriedly and clumsily. I smiled and went to the stairwell.

I was outside when they attacked me.

Their horrid scent hit me first in a gagging wave and I dropped into a crouch as a fist whistled over my head. I had one hand under Victoria's bum and the other on her upper back and neck to hold her firmly as I rolled through the legs of the Family werewolf. I stood up and kicked my attacker in his lower back and sent him sprawling. Victoria stiffened in my arms and I knew she was awake so I lowered my mouth and murmured reassuringly in her ear. She stayed silent once she knew it was me instead of crying out. This baby always seemed to know when it was important to be quiet and when to wail her little head off. I smiled a little as her chubby arms came up and wrapped around my neck before snarling as a second werewolf came at me.

I whipped into a round house kick and got him in his throat before dropping into a forward split when I sensed the first werewolf coming up behind me. Guy Number One tripped over me and on to Guy Number Two and I felt angry that the Family didn't send anyone who was at least competent at fighting. Rookies. All of them.

I rolled to my feet and dashed off. I wasn't going to kill them because (one) that's what the Family would've wanted me to do and (two) I wouldn't do it with Victoria anywhere near me. I didn't want to traumatize or imprint death into her baby mind. I was almost towards an alley when I heard a loud _crack!_ and something slam into my right shoulder. I stumbled from the force of it before running again.

The agony was slow in the coming and I mentally cursed the cowards for using a gun. I knew how to use every weapon imaginable, but did you see me using them? No. Because I was a trained werewolf and weapon enough thank you very much.

Victoria squirmed and I loosened my death grip on her. She patted my cheek and I looked down at her. Somehow her green eyes shined with concern and though I smiled I'm pretty sure it was more pained than reassuring. Victoria frowned around her binky in an adorable baby fashion and I would've laughed if I didn't hear pursuing footsteps.

I gritted my teeth against the pain and went into my sprint and I would've distanced myself from them in three seconds flat if I hadn't slipped in a puddle while turning a corner. I turned on to my back, or as much of it as I could before crashing to the ground and skidding across the ground with all the speed I'd been running with. I watched the approaching wall with horror and curled the best I could around Victoria. Unfortunately, that meant my head was the first thing that hit the wall. My vision blacked out for a moment and when it cleared I heard Victoria screaming loudly in my arms. I shifted and tried to think through the pain in my head. I was suddenly lifted by my right arm and my shoulder flared in agony but that was quickly pushed aside when I felt Victoria ripped from my arms.

My wolf clicked with me and we moved in perfect harmony. Better harmony than in the warehouse with Bud.

_Our eyes locked on to the face of the human-wolf holding our howling cub.___He will die_, we thought. _He will die for touching our cub!

_We screamed out our rage and tore ourselves from the other human-wolf who thought they could hold us. We charged at the human-wolf in front of us and we relished in the fear that flashed in his eyes. We slashed our claws across his face, effectively blinding him and causing him to drop our cub. Though we were disappointed. We would have torn into his eyes if it wasn't for our wounded shoulder._

_We caught our cub and dropped into a crouch to face the other human-wolf. He was lunging towards us but he seemed so slow to us. We reacted as it had been trained into us for years and kicked a leg up and hit his chin. We then delivered a kick to his head and he fell to the ground unconscious. The human-wolf we clawed was on his knees in front of us when we faced us, unaware of the danger in front of him. We kicked him unconscious as well._

_It was silent for a moment as we turned our nose up to the wind to catch the scent of any other possible enemy's. Our cub made a noise to draw our attention and we looked down. She looked up with forest green eyes and both our inside softened when she put a hand to our cheek. We nuzzled it and kissed it, making reassuring sounds to calm any fears although her scent said she had none._

_The sound of footsteps brought our head up in a snap and we shifted into our battle stance. We realized we were getting tired: our shoulder was losing blood and our chest was in pain, making it difficult to take deep breaths We moved our head so our long fur covered our cub from view. Two people stood 15 feet from me at the mouth of the alley and a sound behind me had me turning to see two more drop in behind me. Snarling, we shifted our cub her into one arm while she clung to us and stood so we could see all of them. Our nose old us that they were human-wolves like the other two and they smelled vaguely familiar, but the fact that they had cornered us and were a threat to our cub didn't make us think much on whom they were, though it was interesting that one of the two who had dropped in behind us was a female._

_The smallest of the males called something and it took us a moment to realize what he was saying. "Artemis," is what he called. We focused more on what he was saying and it became clearer. "Artemis, calm down. We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help you." His voice was so calm that we couldn't help but relax a little, but only a little. We tried to remember where we'd met this human-wolf before. He kept talking but we were too focused on making sure the other three didn't move and trying to remember to hear what he was saying. His scent came to our nose and it suddenly came to us._

"_Jeremy," we murmured in the middle of whatever he was saying. Our voice was quiet, but he heard it anyway._

"_Yes Artemis?" he asked, but we didn't answer._

_We just shook our head. All we could only remember what he calls himself and that he was calm._

_Out of the corner of our eye we saw movement and saw the male human-wolf how had dropped behind us coming at us. We snarled and turned so we were between the approaching human-wolf and our cub. But the movements made our long fur shift and reveal our cub. Jeremy called something and the approaching human-wolf stopped, but we think it was more from shock. All their eyes were on our cub as she hugged our neck. I growled in warning and the strong looking human-wolf stepped forward and we focused on the words he was saying._

"_Artemis, please calm down. You remember what I told you tonight, don't you? You asked me why we were helping you and why we were being so kind to you. Do you remember what I said?"_

_We answered before we even realized what we were saying. "You said you helped because… we needed it."_

_He was slowly walking forward, his hands at his side and his palms facing me to show he meant no harm. He was doing this in the least threatening matter, but we were still cautious and watched his every move while keeping an ear on the two behind us. "That's right. Do you remember who I am, Artemis? Do you remember who did the dishes with you? I showed you the picture of my seven boys. Remember? It was a picture was taken only a week ago when all of them were wrestling in our back yard."_

_I nodded reluctantly as the memories slowly surfaced. "Antonio… you were… kind to us…No one had ever been kind to us. They only hurt us. Scarred us. We didn't want to be hurt then. We did nothing wrong, but still they hurt us… but you didn't…" Our voice was still quiet, but it sounded… lost to us._

_Antonio nodded and smiled, "That's right. And I'll never hurt. None of will. We will never ever hit you or scar you. I promise that." He was still moving closer._

_We cocked our head. "Promise?"_

_He nodded again. "Yes. I promise. All we want to do is help you, Artemis? You're hurt and bleeding and the baby should be sleeping at this time of night. I'm sure you know how fussy baby's can be when they don't get enough sleep." He grinned._

_We grinned back. But we stopped when we realized we had. _Why did we do that? _we asked ourselves silently. We saw that he'd covered about three-fourths of the distance between us and we huffed, shifting a bit._

_Antonio noticed and stopped moving towards us and murmured, "It's okay, Artemis. It's okay, I promised I wouldn't hurt you. Right?" He waited for our slow nod before continuing. "I just want to make sure you're not hurt too badly. You'll need medical attention since you're bleeding so much. If you don't get help soon you won't be able to take care of the baby. And you don't want that, do you?" He waited for us to shake our head. "So can you let me come closer, Artemis? I only want to take care of you, Artemis. Can I please come closer?"_

_His scent said he spoke the truth. He did want to take care of us. We blew a big breath out our nose shortly before nodding slightly. At this he came closer slowly and we watched him with both caution and curiosity. Our memories showed that he hasn't hurt us yet. In fact, he'd comforted us. He'd been gentle and kind to us. He'd hugged and held us. Something that was so foreign to us. Never had anyone done that to us._

_We tensed slightly as Antonio stood in front of us, but we could tell he was trying not to be intimidating by slouching and making slow movements. But that didn't stop us from tensing when he raised his hand and we unconsciously moved our cub away from him. We froze when his hand just stroked our cheek softly. We looked up and met his eyes and saw nothing but worry and concern. We slowly relaxed as he kept stroking our cheek and made soothing sounded more wolf than human._

_After a couple of minutes he asked, "Where are you hurt, Artemis?" We hesitated before glancing down at our right shoulder. The shoulder our cub wasn't on. He moved to our side, but not behind us because he knew we wouldn't like that, and hissed in sympathy when he saw the bleeding wound. "You need this taken care of, Artemis. Jeremy is the Pack doctor. Will you let him come closer?"_

_We looked at the human-wolf in question, but the cub made a sound and we looked down to see what was wrong. She was yawning. We had to catch her binky as it fell out of her mouth, but we put it right back in her mouth. She blinked her beautiful green eyes up at us tiredly before laying her head on my shoulder and falling asleep within a few breaths._

_Something inside of us relaxed. Our cub was okay. These human-wolves were here to help us._

_Because we needed it. Because they wanted to._

_Our soul began to slowly separate and we could tell all four of them were watching us, but we didn't care. They wouldn't hurt us or our cub. One soul slowly began to develop differing characteristics until there were two different beings._

I blinked slowly and sighed in exhaustion before looking up at Antonio. I nodded and murmured, "Yes, it's fine." He smiled and I heard Jeremy coming towards us. I was so suddenly tired. I closed my eyes and buried my face in Victoria's soft hair. I felt Jeremy's sure finger prod my shoulder and I winced only slightly.

"We need to get back to Stonehaven. My supplies are there. For now, we need to slow the bleeding." I heard cloth being torn and felt something being tied around my shoulder. Then I felt Antonio's hand take mine and pull me after him. I trusted him and kept my eyes closed. We went around a few corners and walked a short distance. In that time a very painful headache took residence in my skull.

Car doors open and Antonio helped me inside. It was when I felt foreign hands touch me that my eyes shot open. Elena was reaching back from the passenger seat to take Victoria from me, but I shook my head and tightened my grip on her. "It's alright," I said in a slurred voice. "I've got her." Elena opened her mouth to protest but Jeremy shook his head, telling her to back off. She nodded and went to buckle up. Clay started the car and only glanced back at me before focusing on the road. Antonio was on my right and rubbing my back comfortingly while Jeremy was checking the makeshift bandage on my shoulder.

But Jeremy's eyes flew to my face when he heard my slurred voice. He took out a pen light from his pocket and flashed it in my eyes. I winced at the explosion of pain in my head at that. "Did you hit your head, Artemis?" he asked. I nodded slowly to avoid pain. "You have a severe concussion. Are you feeling tired?" Another slow nod. "Don't fall asleep. We need you to stay awake," he ordered.

I whined, too tired to speak. I so wanted to sleep. I felt like that one time where I was forced to stay awake for a week.

"Stay awake, Artemis," he commanded, reinforcing his order.

I closed my eyes but forced them open again as I leaned against Antonio's shoulder. I felt him stiffen. I was pushing myself off him, muttering an apology, when his arms circled my and pulled me against him. My wolf sent the impression of safety and comfort. I sighed.

The ride to Stonehaven was a blur of lights and Antonio and Jeremy shaking me back awake. I honestly didn't understand why they wouldn't let me sleep. Victoria was sleeping peacefully in my arms. Why couldn't I?

The next thing I knew I was being coaxed out of the car, but the instant my feet touched the ground my balance went all over the place and I stumbled. I was turning so I didn't land on Victoria when strong arms scooped me up. I blinked owlishly up at Antonio and unconsciously shifted the baby into a better position.

I was set down on a couch with Jeremy behind me with a big white box. I was struggling to keep my eyes open when I felt my shoulder flared in agony. I hissed and bit my lip against making another sound. It lasted a few more seconds before in disappeared and a corner of my mind concluded that Jeremy had pulled the bullet out of my shoulder. I sighed in relief before I felt something poured onto my wound and it felt like it was burning. I gasped and my lip bled this time. Something cooling was wiped across the angry wound before it was wrapped up in more bandages. Some pills were shoved in my mouth and I swallowed before I thought better of it. Then there was a hard poke in my arm as someone gave me a shot.

Then hands pushed me to lie down. I snarled loudly when someone tried to take Victoria again and the hands backed off. The couch, or was it a bed? I couldn't remember. Anyway, it felt so soft and comfortable. My eyes slid closed and this time no body shook me awake.

—_**An Hour Ago—Antonio's POV—**_

We followed Artemis's scent trail through the crowds with difficulty. I couldn't help but wonder what was so important that Artemis had to leave and get now. I also couldn't help but worry if she was alright. We ordered her to stay on the property. We should've. I should've remembered to. God, what if the people who were after her found her again? Would she be able to defend herself injured as she was?

I felt a hand against my shoulder and looked to see Jeremy. "She's going to be alright," he said. "You saw her fight. She can hold more than her own."

I nodded but still felt uneasy.

That's when our sensitive hearing picked up the sound of a gunshot around the corner. All four of ran down the street to see Artemis disappear into an alley clutching something to her chest. Two werewolves followed her. I wanted to run after her, but Jeremy's hand on my arm kept me still. He ordered Clay and Elena to go on to the roofs and fall in behind the fight so the werewolves were trapped in the alley. They got up a nearby fire escape in record time and moved out of view. Jeremy and I were just beginning to move towards the alley when we heard Artemis' furious, angry scream and I felt the hairs on the back on my neck raise at the sound. We ran towards the alley and saw Artemis viciously kick the last werewolf into unconsciousness. She lifted her nose to scent the wind before looking down at whatever was clutched to her chest. As we approached she heard our footsteps and spun towards us with a snarl, her hair falling over what she held to her chest. She spun again as Clay and Elena dropped in behind her.

But the thing she held so close wasn't what held my attention or that she smelled like her own blood. It was the fact that she didn't recognize us and her black eyes were now golden and glowing brightly in the dark. She moved so that she could see all of us. I heard Jeremy start to talk, trying to get her to calm down, but I didn't listen to what he said. I was focused on how she was acting. She was tense as if she thought we were about to attack her, but most of all I could tell she had to focus to understand what Jeremy was saying and that she didn't seem to recognize him at all.

"Jeremy," she suddenly said in her quiet voice.

"Yes, Artemis?" Jeremy answered, trying to coax her into talking to him, but she just shook her head. It was then that Clay got impatient and stalked closer. Artemis didn't like that and spun, snarling at him. And her hair moved. A baby girl looked around her with bright green eyes. She clung to Artemis' neck tightly but seemed to know she was safe in the eighteen year old girl's arms.

Jeremy called for Clay to stop and he did, but more from shock. No one expected Artemis to have a baby in her arms. It suddenly clicked in my head. Artemis had said she needed to get 'something very important' to her and that she couldn't wait until tomorrow. The baby girl must've been what she'd been talking about.

Artemis felt all the eyes on her charge and growled to warn us off. I stepped forward and her eyes snapped to me. I thought I might have a better chance of her letting me close after her break down. "Artemis, please calm down. You remember what I told you tonight, don't you? You asked me why we were helping you and why we were being so kind to you. Do you remember what I said?"

There was a slight hesitation before she answered, "You said you helped because… we needed it." She seemed slightly confused that she knew that and I took the guess that she couldn't remember much right now. But she could remember. The fact she knew Jeremy's name proved that. I wondered briefly at the 'we' but figured she meant herself and the baby.

I slowly began to move forward, showing her I meant no harm. Speaking slowly and softly, I said, "That's right. Do you remember who I am, Artemis? Do you remember who did the dishes with you? I showed you the picture of my seven boys. Remember? It was a picture was taken only a week ago when all of them were wrestling in our back yard."

She nodded reluctantly and I could see as some of the memories came back to her."Antonio…," I was excited that she remembered me. _Yes, this can work. If she just remembers a bit more, _I thought to myself. "You were… kind to us…No one had ever been kind to us. They only hurt us. Scarred us. We didn't want to be hurt then. We did nothing wrong, but still they hurt us… but you didn't…" Now I was confused. She defiantly wasn't talking about herself and the baby that time. She was talking about herself and…who? I looked at her golden glowing eyes and noticed her face had changed slightly. She looked more…like a predator. I pushed away the questions and focused again.

I nodded and smiled, "That's right. And I'll never hurt. None of will. We will never ever hit you or scar you. I promise that." I had covered about half the distance between us and the scent of her blood was getting stronger. I could also tell that the scent of her wolf was much stronger than before.

She cocked her head in a very wolf-like gesture and repeated, "Promise?"

I nodded again. "Yes. I promise. All we want to do is help you, Artemis? You're hurt and bleeding and the baby should be sleeping at this time of night. I'm sure you know how fussy baby's can be when they don't get enough sleep." I grinned.

I was surprised when she grinned back at me. She had a beautiful smile and her whole demeanor changed and brightened when she did. But as soon as it was there it was gone and she was frowning in confusion. And then her frown deepened when she noticed I had covered about three-fourths of the distance. She huffed and shifted nervously.

I stopped and froze, trying my best to look unintimidating, "It's okay, Artemis. It's okay, I promised I wouldn't hurt you. Right?" I waited for her slow nod before continuing. "I just want to make sure you're not hurt too badly. You'll need medical attention since you're bleeding so much. If you don't get help soon you won't be able to take care of the baby. And you don't want that, do you?" I waited for her to shake her head this time. "So can you let me come closer, Artemis? I only want to take care of you, Artemis. Can I please come closer?" She hesitated, thinking it over, before huffing again and nodding ever do slightly.

I came closer and closer until I was right in front of her. She tensed at my proximity and I tried harder to appear harmless. I lifted my hand and she stiffened. I saw Clay take a step closer. Artemis moved the baby farther from me but stopped moving when I touched her cheek. I caressed her soft cheek and ever so slowly she relaxed. She looked up at me with her golden eyes and I couldn't help but think that looked like a wolves. "Where are you hurt?" I asked. She looked down at right shoulder after a pause. I moved to her side and hissed at the sight of her wound. Someone had shot her and the wound was good sized and still pulsing blood. "You need this taken care of, Artemis. Jeremy is the Pack doctor. Will you let him come closer?"

She looked at Jeremy before down at the baby yawning on her left shoulder. She caught the falling pacifier and plopped back in the baby's mouth. The baby blinked a few times before falling asleep on Artemis' shoulder. I could see something about Artemis relax. The predatory feeling I got from her began to fade as did the golden eyes. It took a moment for her eyes to shift from golden to black and she blinked slowly and sighed once the change was done. She looked up at me and I could see she was just exhausted. "Yes, it's fine." I knew the Artemis I had met was back and I smiled. Jeremy came closer as she turned and buried her face in the baby's hair. It was then I caught the baby's scent.

The baby girl was a born werewolf.

Jeremy took off his jacket after saying something about going back to Stonehaven and tore a big strip off of it. Artemis only winces a small bit when Jeremy tied it around her shoulder. I took her hand in mine and marveled for a second on how delicate and small her hand feels before pulling her after me. She doesn't open her eyes until were in the car and Elena reaches to take the baby from her. But when she says no her voice slurs and Jeremy catches it immediately.

I rub her back as Jeremy questions her and then orders her not to fall asleep because she has a severe concussion. She whines and Jeremy tells her again not to fall asleep. She then surprises me by leaning against me and I stiffen. She thinks it's rejection and begins to pull away but I pull her back. She sighs and struggles to keep his eyes open. Despite Jeremy's order not to fall asleep Jeremy and I have to shake her awake several times as Clay drive us back to Stonehaven.

Once we get home she tries to stand on her own but almost takes a head dive into the concrete. I scoop her up into my arms and she blinks up at me. We go to Jeremy's study where he takes care of her shoulder. It was a real test of my control as I watched her go through the pain when all I wanted to do was shield her from that.

Jeremy gave her some pills and then a shot once he was done. He guided her to lie down and then tries to take the baby. She snarls at him to back off and he does, quirking an eyebrow at the action.

She falls into a deep sleep with a 9 month old baby clutched to her chest on a couch in the study.

We all sat in silence and watched as Artemis slept.

Jeremy spoke first. "She'll wake up in the morning with a headache and in pain, but I can give her pills for that. She'll be fully healed in a week and a half. Two weeks."

Clay dropped on to another couch and grumbles, "The damn brat is so much trouble." Elena sat beside him and cuddled into his side.

"Why didn't she just tell us she had a baby to take care of?" she asked.

"She doesn't trust us," Jeremy answered as he pulled out a bottle of brandy. "At least, not enough with the baby. That baby is very important to her and I wouldn't be surprised if she would freely give her life for the baby."

"But what was with the glowing eyes and the 'we' and 'us'?" Elena questioned. "She obviously wasn't talking about her and the baby."

I still haven't taken my eyes off Artemis and answer, "She was talking about herself and someone else… What if it was her wolf?" It made sense. Her eyes looking like a wolf's, her scent, her predatory look.

Elena narrowed her eyes at the unconscious girl in thought. "So the girl lost control to her wolf? But she was talking and responding to her name."

Clay growled, "I don't care about that. I want to know who is after her. Someone wants her bad and I'm starting to wonder why." There was silence again and Jeremy broke it again.

He drained his drink, "We won't know until she tells us in the morning. Until then, it's probably wise to go back to bed."

We all nodded and I carefully scooped up the eighteen year old and the baby. Neither stirred as they all filed out of the study and to their individual rooms. Just as carefully I sat them underneath the blanket and covered them. I watched Artemis for a second and I felt the irresistible urge to sweep her away from all trouble and protect her. I brushed a lock of hair from her forehead before turning away.

I closed the window and left the room silently.

**Oh my god. This chapter took for freaking ever to finish. 13,680 words and 20 pages. Blarg… I'm tired. Gonna pass out watching the Olympics now. Please review!... Sleep….**


	6. Chapter 6: Explaining

**Chapter 6: Explaining**

Waking up was incredibly hard and that's something coming from me. There were so many layers to force my way through that there was no possible way that this was a normal sleep. And my body just wanted to give up and stay under the layers until they went away, but my mind was worried they wouldn't go away like the first time I'd Changed and the Family had kept me heavily sedated for a month. I didn't like these foggy layers and I was determined to get above them.

There was no sense of time in the dream world. Well, I wasn't really dreaming, but you get the idea. I was just struggling to open my eyes and see where I was: to find an escape from the room and get away from the Family. But I'd also have to find Victoria, where ever they were keeping her and then get out. I didn't care if I had to fight or sneak out. I just wanted out. The feeling of vulnerability was suffocating to me, and knowing that I was at the mercy of whatever the Family wanted created a pit of dread in my stomach.

Eventually, I regained the feeling of my body, but I wasn't able to open my eyes or have quick thoughts yet. My mind was still sluggish from the drugs I'd been given. I could feel that I was in clothes: skinny jeans, some sort of shirt, and a jacket if the rough fuzz enclosing my arms were anything to go by. My body was resting on an incredibly soft bed with a heavenly soft pillow under my head and a warm blanket over me. I could also feel something very warm resting on my chest. That something had a heartbeat and breath and y arms were subconsciously wrapped around it.

Victoria. I breathed a soft sigh of relief. My memories were coming forwards from my foggy brain and I felt myself both relax and stiffen with nervousness. Relief that I was safe with the Pack, but nervous on how they'll take Victoria and their encounter with me harmonized with my wolf last night.

I tuned my hearing to the sounds of the house and heard no one up and moving. _Must still be night or early morning_, I thought to myself. _Though I'm betting on early morning. This sedative kicks ass._ Somewhere in the house a grandfather clock chimed four times. _Four in the morning._ I was actually tempted to go back to sleep before the corner of my mind that's always focused on Victoria said that she'll be waking up soon to be fed. She's like clockwork. Always up at four in the morning to be fed, but, after last night, she'll most likely sleep in for at least half an hour.

Not long after, I was able to flutter my eyes and move my head and then actually open my eyes. My vision was so blurry I saw only faint colors. Following about 5 minutes of blinking hard my vision finally returned and I saw the ceiling of the room Antonio had put me in before I'd left to get Victoria.

My mind was picking up speed enough for me to look around Victoria's baby bag so when she woke up I'd know where it was. The black backpack was resting again my equaling black backpack by the door. The only way I'm able to tell the difference between the two is the different design and Victoria's is so much heavier since it's weighed down with all the baby necessities and her toys and blanket.

I lifted my cast arm in a test and frowned when it felt like it was ten-times heavier than I remembered. I held it up for a few moments before dropping it to the bed. After a moment's pause, I lifted it again and held it up as long as I could. I also began to flex my muscles in an effort to get the blood pumping and the lethargy to disappear. Most of my muscles began to shake like I was having a seizure, trying to do what my brain told them to do.

They were between sleep and awake as well. Even my wolf sent me an impression of grogginess and irritation. I was irritated as well. Jeremy used some strong stuff.

The drug still had a fog on everything and I couldn't force my eyes open more than halfway, but I was able to get my muscles and brain functioning in some semblance of awake when Victoria began to stir. I rubbed my uncasted arm up and down her back as she tossed her head from cheek to cheek, which took some doing since she was doing a face plant on my chest for a baby this young. Then I saw her open her big green eyes and blink tiredly. I cooed softly and she turned her head so her chin was resting on my chest now.

I smiled. "Hey, baby Tori," I whispered. She smiled a toothy smile and reached up to pat my cheek. She'd started this patting thing a little while ago and took this as her way of greeting me. Her eyes were shined with intelligence in the dark and I admired them briefly before she frowned and started working her jaw and sticking her tongue in and out of her mouth. I chuckled softly and patted her head. "You hungry, baby Tori? Alright. Let's get you some food."

I held Tori to my chest with my good arm and helped push myself up with my broken arm. My arm and ribs protested, but not as much as my shoulder did at that moment. I gasped and lifted my arm so no weight was on it on it or my shoulder and I finished sitting up using my abs. I mentally cursed the werewolves for being so cowardly as to use guns and sat there for a minute, clutching Tori, before swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. I had to slowly put weight on my legs because that felt shaky to the point of giving out. _This drug is becoming a freakin' pain_, I thought as I forced myself to stand up straight.

My head spun before I took a deep breath and pushed it away. Then, I walked towards the baby bag and the door. Well, limped really. It felt like I'd pulled my hamstring and quad, though I couldn't remember when or how I'd done that. Squatting, I picked up the backpack and slung it over one shoulder and headed out of the bedroom as silently as I could. Tori was silent as usual. The only time that she decides to use her voice is when she was upset and crying, screaming to get my attention when we were in danger, or gurgling when she was _beyond_ happy. She snuggled into my neck and was content to wait for me to feed her.

I silently descended down the big stair case and moved into the kitchen. After setting the bag on the counter I blindly dug around for the baby formula and the bottle. I hadn't bothered turning on the lights. I went through the process of making the formula and nuking it in the microwave, wincing at the sound it made, and checking its temperature. I then leaned against the counter with Tori cradled in my good arm and held the bottle awkwardly with only my fingers since the cast hampered my fisting motion.

I was still trying to shake off the drug as Victoria drank her milk when I saw a shadow move into the kitchen doorway. Tensing, I stood away from the counter and watched the shadow. Tori sensed my tension and stopped nursing to hold perfectly still as I moved my hair to cover her out of habit. The light suddenly came on and I struggled not to wince and blink at the change, but I finally relaxed when I saw who it was.

"Hey, Antonio," I greeted softly, moving to lean back against the counter. Tori went back to nursing under the cover of my hair.

He rubbed his semi-long hair and blinked at me. He was only wearing a pair of drawstring sweats. "Hey," he said back absently. "What are doing up so early? And _how _are you up? Jeremy gave you enough sedative to knock you out until at least tomorrow afternoon." He thought for a moment. "Well I guess it's this afternoon. Not tomorrow anymore." He shrugged, still kinda out of it.

I smiled tiredly. "I'm not awake very easily at the moment. I just want to curl up on the floor and pass out, but I don't like being sedated. I'm too vulnerable and I don't like it."

Antonio raised an eyebrow and came forward to lean his arms against the island so it was between me and him. "And why are in the kitchen?"

I put on an innocent face, "What? I can't get a midnight snack?" He just waited and I sighed. "She always wakes up at four because she's hungry." I saw Antonio's eye flick to my bag and the baby formula before going to my arms hidden behind my heavy curtain of hair.

"The little baby girl?" he asked. I nodded. He straightened and came around the island, completely focused on my covered arms. Strangely, I didn't tense. Something told me that he was curious as an experienced parent and meant no harm. Call it animal instinct if you will. The one that causes a mother dog to move her litter of pups when someone finds her den. "May I see her? She was asleep the first time I saw her up close."

I didn't hesitate in glancing down. "Victoria," I called softly. I felt her stop nursing and pay attention. "Someone wants to see you. Come on out. It's safe. He's safe," I coaxed. I've used this same saying to let her know that this was someone she could trust, if temporarily, ever since I've had to rely on sitters when I've been forced to Change once a week.

A small hand reached through the curtain of hair and pushed it aside enough to peer out. Antonio bent down and smiled at the inquisitive green eyes that looked him up and down, coming to their own baby conclusion if he was safe or not. She obviously decided he was safe when she pushed her bottle out of her mouth long enough to smile and wave endearingly at the big man.

He grinned and waved back, "Hello, Victoria. I'm Antonio." She smiled again before disappearing abruptly behind my hair to begin nursing again.

Antonio raised a questioning eyebrow at me as he straightened. I snorted softly, "You should feel lucky she even did that. She's very shy. Normally she'll just look at you and hide again."

He smiled and nodded, looking as if he was remembering something from the past. "Yeah, I understand. Nick was a bit shy when he was a baby, but he quickly out grew that. Thought everyone was his friend. I swear he gave me more than one heart attack when I found him talking to a stranger. And Clay was…" He snorted in laughter and rubbed his forehead.

I felt a smile growing on my face and didn't fight it as I leaned forward to try and catch his eye. "Was what?" I asked.

He grinned. "When Clay and Nick first met it was…interesting. Nick was about 8 and Clay was probably 7. Nick walked up to him and started talking, you know, trying to win him over and be his friend." I didn't know but nodded anyway. "Well, you see, Clay was Bitten when he was 6 or so and he even survived in the wild for about a year, becoming wild himself. The Pack found out about him and Jeremy went after the child to tame him to civility. Once he was tamed in a way, Jeremy brought him back here to Stonehaven, but Clay was still very connected to his wolf instincts. Still is today. That's why he's hostile towards you. Possible threat and everything to the Pack and his mate and his pups. Anyway, Clay was just a squirt when he met Nicky and Nick was much bigger than him. Nick begins talking, Clay doesn't say anything, just looks him up and down. Then, out of _no where,_ he tackles Nick to the ground and pins Nicky to the ground, snarling in his face. Nick gets so scared he p-p-pisses himself!" He starts laughing over the last two words and can't quite get them out clearly but I understood him.

I grin. Not necessarily at the mental picture, but at the joy and happiness Antonio got from the memory. Victoria even peeks out from my hair and smiles slightly. Antonio sees this and waves at her before she smiles and disappears again.

When Antonio gets himself under control, Victoria is done with her bottle and I take it from her, shaking my hair behind my shoulders so my arms were free and Tori was in full view. I started to wash the bottle one handed before Antonio plucked it from my awkward fingers. He shook his head when I opened my mouth to protest. He set the bottle and top on a dish towel upside down to dry before turning around.

His lips thinned to a white line for a moment before he said, "You know, you could've told us you had to pick up Victoria. We would've driven you to get her and you could've avoided getting hurt again." He motioned to my bandaged shoulder under my torn sweatshirt.

I looked him in the eye and said solemnly, "It never occurred to me to tell you or the Pack." I saw hurt flash in his eyes and shook my head sadly, "Don't take that personally. I have never trusted anyone besides one person and she taught me not to trust anyone." I thought for a moment before adding, "Last night there would've been no chance of me telling you about Tori. But now?... I'm on the fence."

Antonio smiled before coming forward and wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I relished in it as he picked up the baby bag and led me out of the kitchen. "That's all that matters to me, Artie." He replied.

We didn't speak anymore as he led me to my room. He dropped off the bag at its place by the door before kissing me tenderly on the forehead. "Good night, Artemis." It surprised me when he did this, but it was a good surprise and I basked in it like one does a warm afternoon for a nap. It shocked me even more when he did the same to Tori. "Goodnight, Victoria." He chuckled as he straightened. "Or is it good morning?"

"Good night, Antonio," I said as he moved out of the room.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder, a smile on his lips. "My friends call me Tonio."

I nodded. "Good night, Tonio," I repeated.

He chuckled and closed the door softly. I felt the sedative's seductive pull again and headed for the bed. Laying down on top of everything, I positioned Tori on my chest and smiled when she smiled at me. She nuzzled my collar bone before resting her head on one warm cheek. I felt her breathing deepen into sleep after a few moments and followed her not long after. I slept with a small smile on my face.

It felt like I'd just closed my eyes when I felt Tori slap her hand against my face with more force than she usually does. My body was automatically moved into a crouched position with one arm holding Victoria to me as she clung to my neck while my broken arm was held out to ward off an attack. I could only open my eyes half way and even then my vision was blurry as if they were filled with tears.

I saw no movement in my messed up vision and relaxed enough to realize that crouching on a bed was rather awkward. Moving to sit on my knees, I blinked when Victoria slapped my cheek again. I caught her hand I looked down at the mish-mash of colors that was her face. "No hitting, Tori. You know this. One was enough to wake me up," I grumbled. When I let go of her hand to rub my eyes she slapped me for a third time.

I caught her hand and was about to snap at her when a calm voice said, "I think she's trying to tell you that I'm in the room."

My head whipped around to look for the source of the voice, in vain of course, and unconsciously moved Victoria to put her out of view when I stopped myself. I blinked and squinted in the general direction of the voice. "Jeremy?" I called.

A blur of blue and white, his jeans and shirt I guess, detached itself from the wall and move towards me. "Yes, I'm right here. Is there something wrong with your eyes? Your nose?" he asked curiously.

I shifted into the more comfortable position of crossed legs before nodding. It was then that I remembered these symptoms from an episode before. "Yeah. I should've remembered this was going to happen." I moved Tori until she was cradled in my arms. The bed dipped and I figured Jeremy had just sat down.

"What happened?"

I hesitated before figuring that he had a right to know since I was pretty much useless for the day and I'd be depending on him and the others. I blew out a breath and felt Tori grab a lock of my hair and begin pulling on it with the strength and tenacity a baby could possess. "I harmonized with my wolf. I was at my absolute best last night." I stared blindly at the semi-dark fuzzy color that was, I think, Jeremy's face. "I think it's a trade-off. I'm at my best and practically invincible and then vulnerable and unable to defend myself the next day. I can hardly see, hardly smell, hardly hear, hardly anything." I felt a small thread of unease in my stomach as I told Jeremy about one of my Achilles heels. It went against my instinct to show no weakness, but I pushed on. "Last time this happened it lasted about a day. So I should be better by tomorrow morning."

There was a pause before I felt a hand drop on to my shoulder. I tensed briefly before forcing myself to relax. "Thank you for telling me this, Artemis."

_He knows I didn't want to tell him that_, I thought before shrugging. "I thought you deserved to know. You guys will have to put up with me today."

The blob I thought was Jeremy's face went up and down. I think he nodded. He moved and the dip in the bed disappeared, for he had stood up. "Breakfast is being made and everyone is up. Would you like to join us?" I nodded, but got the feeling he was waiting for something and didn't move. Finally he said, "I'm holding out my hand, Artemis."

"Oh," I said intelligently and slowly reached out with my cast-arm since I didn't know where his hand was. His hand grasped mine when he realized I couldn't find it. He pulled me away from the bed and I stumbled briefly as I felt pain throughout my whole body. My pulled muscles in my leg, a dull ache in my ribs and arm, a sharp almost agony in my shoulder, and a headache that would've blinded me if I hadn't already been.

Jeremy patiently waited for me to regain my balance before guiding me to the brown blur that was the door.

I stopped and said, "Hold on." I pulled my hand fro his and he halted to see why I had stopped.

"Which one do you need?" he questioned when he saw my hand blindly seeking the dual black blurs that were mine and Tori's backpacks. I gritted my teeth at the feeling of being able to do nothing on my own.

"The heavier one," I answered after a pause. I heard him lift first one back pack then the other before picking up the first one again.

He took my hand in his own and led me down the hall and down the stairs and it was only then that I heard talking coming from the kitchen. We walked into the room and I heard Antonio call out, "Good morning, Artie. Morning, Victoria."

I threw a small smile in Antonio's general direction, "Morning, Tonio." One of Tori's hands left my neck and I assumed she had waved at him.

"Good morning, Artemis," I heard Elena call from my left.

"Good morning, Elena," I called back softly, inclining my head in her direction. I noticed I heard nothing from Clay.

There were suddenly two loud gasps to even my muffled ears. "You have a baby!" Katie exclaimed and I heard two sets of small feet run over to me. Little hands tugged on my shirt and I got the impression that they were jumping up and down to get a glimpse of Victoria.

I let go of Jeremy's hand and crouched down, bringing Victoria to their level. "This is Victoria. I call her Tori. Be careful. She's really shy." The twins 'ohh'ed and 'aww'ed and I felt Toir squirm in my arms. "It's okay, Tori. It's safe. They're safe." She settled down instantly and I really wished I could see so I could see her reaction to the twins.

"Is she your little sister?" Logan asked.

I shook my head at his blond head. "No. Her mother trusted me to take care of her. She's a born werewolf like the two of you."

"There are other girl werewolves besides Mommy?" Logan demanded, surprise toning his voice. Katie was just silent and I thought she was staring at Tori.

I wanted to say something along the lines of "I'm here, aren't I?", but I got the sense that this was a smart kid and, since I didn't like being made feel stupid, I figured he wouldn't like that. So I answered, "I only knew of Tori's mother and myself before she died. And your Mommy of course. I knew about her as well."

I think Logan nodded and I felt a sharp pain coming from my pulled muscles. I slowly forced myself to stand up and apologize to them, saying my leg hurt from crouching when they made disappointed sounds. They weren't disappointed for long, for Clay told them food was being set on the table.

I wanted to follow them because I was hungry, but I knew I had to take care of Tori first. I had an approximate guess on where I was in the kitchen and slowly moved forward, holding one hand out slightly so I didn't run into anything. I jumped slightly when I felt Antonio's big warm hand close around mine.

"Are you okay, Artie?" he asked, rubbing small circles on the back of my hand. I heard the frown in his voice.

I blindly looked up at his face and told him matter-of-factly, "I can't see."

I freeze and he asked, "How? You were fine last night."

"I'll tell you later," I murmured absently, enjoying the feeling of his hand making those circles. "But can you help me?" I asked hesitantly and quietly, afraid he would say no. "Tori needs her bottle made and I can't see…"

"Of course," Antonio answered and took the bag from my shoulder. I followed his footsteps to the counter and waited patiently for him to make the baby formula. I listened to the sounds of people eating in the dining room and felt my stomach squeeze almost painfully. Healing always made me twice as hungry then I normally am.

Antonio pressed the warm bottle into my hand and I was at a loss of how I was going to feed Tori since I couldn't see her mouth. Tonio saw my dilemma and laid a hesitant hand on the hand that held the bottle. "Would you like me to feed her?"

I hesitated for the longest of moments before pushing the bottle into his hand and holding Tori out to him. I didn't like it, especially since I wouldn't be able to see if was doing anything wrong or anything to hurt the baby, but I had to. I wasn't able to do it.

I leaned against the counter and very impatiently waited for Tori to drink her fill. I'd never liked handing her off to sitters, not one bit. I didn't like it to the point that I considered doing as my wolf wanted and taking Victoria with me to Change. But I didn't. She'd be vulnerable and alone while I took 15-30 minutes to Change and I wouldn't be able to feed her or change her when I was a wolf. No. At the sitters she would be safe and warm and fed. But now I didn't have to Change and it was still a necessity.

My anxiety lessened after a bit as I told myself that Antonio was an experienced parent and wouldn't hurt Tori. We could trust him. He's taken care of us and that's all he's doing now.

I slowly loosened each one of my muscles until I was relaxed enough that the sedative still in my system caused me to lean against the counter with slumped shoulders, arms loosely crossed, and eyes closed.

I barely noticed as my hair slipped over my shoulders and partially hid my face. I barely noticed when Antonio gently tucked some hair behind my ear and observed me.

I only came back down to earth when I felt a something slightly rough caress my cheek. I blinked my eyes open because whatever had touched me was different from Victoria's soft skin. I looked up and grimaced at how awful my vision was. That same skin touched my cheek and this time I recognized it as Antonio's hand as he cradled my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. "Why did you make that face? If you're in pain Jeremy can give you some pills."

I almost shook my head, but I didn't want to lose Antonio's warm hand, so I just spoke, "No. I'm not in enough pain to want any pills."

"Artemis," he said with a warning in his voice as he scented my lie.

I sighed. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. "Fine. I'm in enough pain to be tempted by the pills, but I won't take them. I'm still trying to shake off that sedative and I don't need anything else to fight."

He was silent for a moment before he asked, "So why did you grimace?"

I did shake my head this time. "I'm sure I'll have to explain this to Clay and Elena and I've already told Jeremy and I really hate repeating myself. So I'd rather tell you three in one go." He was silent again and I tried smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll most likely be back to normal tomorrow morning. This has happened before and I came away fine." The blob that was his face nodded.

I took Tori back into my arms and let Antonio lead me into the semi-quiet dining room. He let go of my hand as he went one way, not knowing that I couldn't see, and I stopped. Where was I supposed to sit? I could see the golden heads of Clay and the twins. I thought I could see Elena's pale blond hair but it was hard to tell with the walls that were white. And I couldn't see Antonio or Jeremy at all: brown hair, dark skin, dark wooden table and chairs.

I stood there for a moment, squinting to try and see better when I felt a hand close around mine. I jumped a little and recognized it as Jeremy's hand. He silently led me around the table and guided my hand to a chair he pulled back. Smiling at him, I murmured, "Thank you." I cautiously sat myself and moved Tori so she was sitting in my lap and I had both hands free.

I saw what looked like a glass and gingerly touched it just to make sure. I slid my fingers to the right of the blurry plate in front of my until I felt two handles to silverware. Dancing my fingers up slightly I felt which one was the fork and knife and made a mental note on where they were. Then I tried to tell what was on my plate. After a few moments I gave up and felt anger beginning to build inside of me. I couldn't do _anything_ with my senses like this. All I needed was for my nose or my eyes to be normal and I could at least function independently.

I crept my hand to my glass and picked it up with my hand hovering over the top so I didn't spill it. I sipped the drink, which was orange juice, throughout breakfast until some people began finishing off their meal.

"Are you feeling alright, Artemis?" Elena asked from across the table and a little to my left. "You didn't eat anything. Aren't you hungry?"

That was a stupid question. Of course I was hungry. First of all, I was a werewolf. We were always hungry. Second of all, I was healing and needed food more than usual. I smiled a bit in her direction, "I'm not hungry." I heard a soft growl form Clay as he smelled my lie and I nodded in his direction to let him know I was purposefully lying. "I think that medicine Jeremy gave me last night is messing with my hunger."

Just as expected one of the twins, Katie this time, asked, "You took medicine last night? Why? Are you sick?"

I grinned at her and held up my hand with my fingers measuring an inch of space. "Just a little. I may have caught the flu. My tummy was hurting last night." I think the twins nodded.

Elena then shepherded them out of the room to get them cleaned up and dressed. As soon as they were gone I felt a steal hand grab my upper arm in a painful grip. It hauled me up and I growled up at Clay, scooping Tori up on to my shoulder, "Watch it, Clayton! I could've dropped Victoria." He jerked me roughly and felt my anger grow. I wanted so badly to snap at him, but I held my temper in check because he didn't know I was vulnerable at the moment. Though I did jerk my arm from his grip before he could drag me to somewhere in the house.

He growled and I jumped back, expecting him to grab for me again. I held Tori tightly so she didn't slip from my grip and looked in vain for any color movement. I got none.

"That's enough, Clayton," Jeremy ordered from somewhere behind me.

"She broke a rule," the blond man growled from my right and I felt my anger grow that I hadn't been able to see him move over there.

"She has her reasons for lying. Especially in front of the twins." Clayton growled, but I wasn't yanked around again so I figured he was listening to his Alpha. I relaxed my grip on Victoria and straightened out of the defensive stance I'd gone into. "Why don't we go to the study? We have some questions we'd like answered, Artemis."

I nodded and felt Antonio take my hand again. He took me out of the room, down the hall, and into another room. I dropped Victoria's baby bag in front of, I think a couch, and went down onto my knees to dig through the bag. I pulled out a soft but thick baby blanket and smoothed it on the ground before digging out some toy. I set Tori on her stomach and the toys in front her. She immediately started playing with them.

"Hold out your hand, Artemis," Jeremy ordered and I hesitated briefly before doing so. Something stiff and crumbly was set in my hand.

I frowned, "What is this?"

"Toast. You still need to eat."

I 'ah'ed before bringing it to my mouth.

"You can't see, can you, Artemis?" Antonio asked softly from the couch behind me. I shook my head and continued to munch on the toast. "How? You were this morning." He sounded really worried, concerned and confused.

I swallowed and looked at him as best as I could. "It happened last time as well. There's a delay from when I return to normal and I become like this. I think it's a 6 hour delay. Or something like that." I turn my attention back to Tori when she rolls on to her back. She waves something colorful I the air like she's taunting us with it.

"Can you tell us everything?" asked Jeremy. "From beginning to end on why you're currently like this."

I blink into open space, not really having anything to look at, and finally decide to just close my eyes. I was getting a head ache from all the blurry colors on top of my already pounding head ache. "Sure. I don't about you guys but I've always been very close to my wolf. Close enough that we can communicate and have conversations if we're having a good day."

"You mean your wolf can actually _talk _to you?" asked Elena just after I heard the door open.

I thought for a moment. "Not when I'm in charge. When she's just in my head she can only send me impressions of things, like if she's pacing, restless, pictures, sounds. Not actual words, but…feelings I guess. I can't think of a proper word to describe it."

Jeremy was silent. "I can't detect a lie. I've never heard of anything like this." He seemed to be thinking.

An idea came to mind. "Would you like to meet my wolf?"

There was silence throughout the room and I couldn't help the small quirk of my lips in amusement.

"You can bring your wolf forward without Changing?" Antonio quietly asked.

In answer, I twisted in his direction and opened my eyes. My wolf and I switched positions and I could feel her excitement at the situation. In the blink of an eye I'd given up control of my body to the wild animal inside me. Now I could only sense the world around me: I wasn't able to move or speak or interact with the world around me.

My wolf frowned and rubbed her eyes, "This is so annoying. I almost regret joining with my human. This… vulnerability is…is… frightening. A vulnerable wolf is a dead wolf."

Antonio leaned forward and looked at my wolf closely once she opened her eyes again. "You really are Artemis' wolf, aren't you?"

She scowled, "Of course I am. Weren't you…er… pa-paying attention to what my human was saying?" She didn't wait for an answer, just waved a hand as if to dismiss it. "Forget it. I call myself Lupa or Wolf."

"How are you able to do this?" asked Jeremy.

Lupa blinked and bowed her head in his direction in respect. "Alpha. I'm…sorry. But I am not very good at this… speaking, talking thing. I don't…get what you are asking."

"I'm asking how you and Artemis are able to change places without Changing."

"Oh." She shrugged. "I'm not sure. We have always been able to do this. Since that human-wolf bit us."

There was silence again and Lupa just waited patiently like the hunter she was. "Can you tell us about last night?"

Lupa nodded and said simply. "We became one, my human and I. When that suicidal human-wolf took our cub away we became…well…enraged. She's our cub and we won't let anything happen to her." She tickled the cubs tummy, getting a satisfying high pitch laugh. "So we had the same…focus? Need? Thoughts? We just became one. There was no Lupa. There was no human—er—Artemis. It was just 'us'."

Jeremy nodded before saying, "And this led to how you are now?"

Another nod. "My human thinks that it's a… Ah, what did she say? It's a… trade-off! That's what she called it. When we are one no one can come close to us… Well, one human-wolf can. We are at our best. So, this trade-off means that, since we were at our best, soon after we are at our worst. Unable to see, smell, hear. We are just weak and easily killed. Though we keep our strength and speed we can't tell where to attack or defend. It is very frightening. But like last time, we will be back to normal once the moon sets and the sun rises."

"Artemis mentioned that this happened once before."

Lupa was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes," she said quietly. "We did one other time."

"When?" Clayton demanded with a growl.

Lupa snarled in his direction, "My human may put up with you, beast, but I won't be so forgiving." Clay snarled back and Antonio chuckled.

"When, Lupa?" Jeremy asked.

Lupa quickly turned her attention back to the Alpha, although she hesitated before answering. "When we were leaving the pack of human-wolves that had kept us… against… or wishes with the cub." Lupa's golden eyes flickered with pain and anger at the memories that raced past in our head. I sent her the impression of strength and she sent her gratitude.

"What group of human-wolves—werewolves?"

Lupa shifted uncomfortably and shushed Victoria when she noticed this and made a questioning sound. "I'll let my human… tell you."

With that Lupa and I switched places again. I could sense her anxiety at remembering the past and I sent her comfort.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and just talked fast. Hoping this would be as quick and painless as possible. "So, you want to know about the Family? Well, I'm sure you've heard this before, but they're a group of werewolves set on overthrowing the North America Pack and replacing it with their own. They're also set on having all the female werewolves. They already had a Bitten woman when I was Bitten myself. She was Victoria's mother before she trusted her baby to me and died." I paused and looked down at the forgotten toast in my hand and grimaced, "They're a real threat to you guys. Trust me. They disgust me enough that I can lose my appetite and that is truly sad." I held it out for Jeremy to take back.

"Why haven't you told us this before?" Clay asked in a civilized tone. No growls or snarls.

I cocked my head in his direction. I thought about asking about his sudden change in tone but figured that would only piss him off. I decided to play it safe and just answer. "I didn't really have an opportunity to tell you." It surprised me even more when he didn't snap at me. I could feel the atmosphere becoming more tense and serious.

"Why haven't they attacked yet?" Elena asked quietly.

"Because they lost their ace to beating the Pack."

"What was their ace?" Clay asked.

I shifted much how Lupa did before she'd given me control back. I could feel all four of their eyes on me and I didn't really like it. I considered not answering, but I really just wanted to live without secrets with these guys. They deserved to know anyway.

"Me," I whispered.

I was pushed to the floor in an instant with a forearm against my neck and a knee in my gut. Clayton snarled in my face. As much as it killed me to do so, I remained limp and non-threatening. Victoria began to scream and wail like she does when I'm in danger.

"Let her speak, Clayton," ordered Jeremy. I noticed how he didn't call Clay off me entirely like he'd done before. I felt a flash of hurt at that but pushed it away.

Clayton let off my neck enough for me to breath and talk. "Look I'll say this clearly so you can smell if I lie. I have every intention of bringing down the Family for what they've done to me. I mean absolutely no harm or ill intent towards the Pack or any friend and ally to the Pack. I will stop the Family from eradicating the Pack if it's the last thing I do."

There were several minutes of silence where no one moved. Finally, Jeremy said, "Let her go." Clayton reluctantly got off me and I sat up, resisting the urge to rub my neck. "Artemis," Jeremy called and I turned towards his blurry figure.

"Tell us everything you know about the Family."


	7. Chapter 7: Planning

**BA BA** **BA** **BUUUUMM! Cue serious music. Now you get to find out what the Family really is and I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this chapter! I have another story going and I've been focused on that. I really tried before now to get this chapter going but I just didn't have the motivation.** **Not to mention since I don't have a computer at home I'm havingto work at my public library, which has a filter and doesn't allow me of . So I enlisted the help of my dad and found out a way around said filter. Thank you dad!** **Sohere it is!**

**I don't own any of the Women of the Otherworld books. Don't sue me. I'll haunt you if you do.**

**Chapter 7: Planning**

I was silent for a moment before muttering, "Where do I start?" I sighed and began to explain, "The Family is a group of 30 werewolves led by Randall. From what I've heard they've been preparing to fight you guys for years. Even before Jeremy became Alpha. They have this thing in their heads that the members of the Pack shouldn't be chosen but have their place earned. Like the strongest werewolf would be Alpha. They also have it in their head that all female werewolves are… property I think was the word they used. They want to start a bloodline of pure werewolves. You probably haven't noticed, but they've been trying to turn women for years and only had two being Victoria's mother and myself." I took a breath and refused to allow memories to surface. I played tug-a-war withTori to distract myself. "But they've had much more success with turning men. Over the years Randall has turned over 200 hundred men. That's really scary to think about but he only kept 30 of them. He only kept the best of the best. He kept those who could live through his training and become so much faster and stronger than any other werewolf in the world. I don't want to sound like I'm underestimating you guys but believe me when I say they are more than ready to kill you guys. It's overkill really to keep building their strength. He would've attacked you guys already 4 months ago if I hadn't have fled."

There was absolute silence. Even Victory had stopped tugging her toy away from me. I caressed her cheek and felt her smile. I smiled blindly back down at her before saying, "That's basically a background on the Family."

More silence before Elena murmured, "If you aren't exaggerating—."

"I'm not."

"—Then we would've been killed already. We had no idea that a group of werewolves like this was out there." I could hear the shock in her voice as she took in the scope of the bullet I'd pushed them away from.

I shook my head and closed my eyes again. "Don't beat yourself up for not knowing. Randall is a conniving monster. He's been patient for decades and doesn't have a problem waiting a bit longer. He knows how to stay under your radar. The Family moves every week to a different state and a new city. They never visit a place twice. And once they're there they hunt for the person who won't be missed in the community and take them. Sometimes Randall keeps them human for servants, or he Bites them. It doesn't matter if they're male or female, child or adult. He takes them and… uses them." I swung my hair around to hide my face before continuing, "Randall has had years to perfect the technique of hiding."

Another silent pause before Antonio asked, "But why would they stop their plans for you?"

"Because I'm the best they have. I can easily beat all of Randall's little soldiers no sweat. It's just Randall himself I have to worry about. He's the only one that can possibly beat me."

"But you had trouble with them the last two times," Clay pointed out.

I held up a finger, "The first time was because I was running and very low on energy. And besides, that was Bud I was fighting. He's Randall's second. He's the… enforcer of the Family. He's the second closest person that can beat me but he never can and it pisses him off to no end. The second time I had Victoria. I couldn't exactly fight back without endangering her. My main focus was to get Tori to safety."

There was a pause before Jeremy asked, "When do you think the Family will attack?"

I faced him and shook my head, "I don't know. I would like to say that Randall won't attack until he has me back, but I worry about the day he'll get impatient and realize he has more than enough power." I think he nodded and I continued hesitantly, "But. I do have quite a few contacts when it comes to the werewolf world. Both mutts and within the Family."

"You do?" Elena asked, shock coloring her voice.

I nodded and smiled a bit, "Yes. It's strange how some small kind acts will get people into your debt. I tried to help out the human servants in the Family as much as possible and even saved a few from getting killed. I know of two, if they're still alive, who serve Randall himself. They should be alive though. Randall is particularly fond of his girls and he's calm like Jeremy. Well, he's icier than Jeremy, but you get the point. I was also on my own for 4 months. I traveled a lot to stay ahead of Randall. I may have met a mutt or two along the way. So yeah, I have connections."

"Could you find out about what the Family is doing?" Jeremy asked.

I nodded and sighed, "But it will take time. The Family only uses one company to supply their weapons and they send their servants to collect the orders. I could mail a letter to the company manager, he owes me money, and have him give my letter to whoever shows up and they'll pass it along to my contact." I put my chin in my hand and mussed, "I just don't know when they'll make another order. Or when my contact will respond. And she will. She knows how to get around the Family."

"It's a start," Elena said, sounding a bit more assured now that she could see what danger her loved ones were in and prepare for it.

I leaned back against the couch and nudged Tori with my foot. She latched on to it and began wrestling with it. "Don't get relaxed now," I chastised. "I wouldn't be surprised ifStonehaven was surrounded right now by the Family. You need to take steps so you're better prepared if they do decide to attack."

I heard someone get up and walk to what I assumed was a window by the light coming in. I heard the sound of curtains being thrown and Clay's growl, "She's right. Against 30 normal werewolves we would hardly have a chance."

I felt Antonio's hand on my shoulder and glanced up at him to see a flash of white. He had smiled. He turned to Jeremy, "What do you think we should do, Jer?"

He was silent for a moment before he looked at me, "You know the Family best, Artemis. I was thinking of moving the entire Pack to one place. What do you think?"

I blinked in surprise and pointed to myself in shock briefly before shaking myself and finding my voice. For Jeremy, the_Alpha_, to ask my advice meant he was taking this as serious as possible. "That's along the idea of what I was thinking." I twisted my head to look at Antonio. "You said you lived in Catskills, right?" Tonio nodded. "How big is your house?"

"Big enough to hold the entire Pack and then some if that's what you're wondering," he answered.

I nodded, "I was asking that." I looked back at Jeremy, "Move the entire Pack to Tonio's place. Sell Stonehaven to make it look legitimate because I promise you once the Family realizes you've moved but haven't sold this place then they'll know you plan to come back. You can sell it to a family of humans who are friends with your supernatural allies." I cocked my head in thought, "Aren't you on good relations with a Cabal family?"

Elena answered this time, "We're friends with Lucas Cortez. He's the youngest son of Benicio Cortez, the current head of the family."

I sighed in relief, "Even better. The Cabals can take care ofStonehaven discreetly enough to avoid the Family's snooping." I paused and thought before continuing, "Then you need to make a show of moving because the Family will question the locals to see if you did in fact move. And you need to get the word out through the werewolf world that you're changing the Pack's home base. They regularly check with mutts they come across on news on you guys."

"But how do we do that?" Antonio asked. "We're not exactly on good terms with any mutts right now."

"But I am. I assume you have phones in this place, yes? I'll have rumors going around within the hour. Finally, once you're settled in Tonio's place you need to be as casual as possible because they will think you're on to them, especially with me here."

"Won't they expect you to warn us about them?" Elena questioned.

I shook my head and smiled grimly, "I built a bit of a reputation while I was with the Family. To them I'm a cold, closed-mouth, anti-social, bitch who let no one get close to her. And they believe with all their heart that I won't say any of my secrets. They already tried they're hardest to get me to talk and they failed. So, no. They'll be suspicious, but not sure." I glanced at Jeremy, "That's what I would do, Jeremy."

I watched his blurry figure think in silence and I could tell the other three were watching him as well. I respected that he had asked for my opinion and was considering it. He wasn't jumping for it either, which meant he had ideas of his own and was thinking mine over critically. Finally, he nodded, "We'll do that. Elena, call Lucas and ask him about selling Stonehaven and having the Cabals watching over it. Clay, pull the kids out of school for the time being and call Karl and Morgan in. Tel them about the situation. Antonio, go out and get some moving boxes and rent a U-Haul. We'll be out of here within a week. Artemis, I want you start calling and getting information from your contacts."

The three left the room in hurried footsteps to do as they were ordered while I looked up at Jeremy. "Can you get me a phone? And in the front of my backpack I have a little notebook. Can you bring me it?" He got up and disappeared from the room to get what I needed.

I looked down at Victoria who was chewing on something very colorful. I tickled her tummy a bit and she squirmed with a smile on her face. "Looks like we're finally gonna avenge your momma, little Tori. We're gonna finally stop the Family from hurting other people."

She stopped moving and looked up at me. I couldn't make out her face expression, but I think she was smiling again. I smiled back, "You're such a happy-go-lucky baby. You're happy no matter what."

Jeremy came back in and placed a few things in front of me before sitting down. "I think you're going to need a little help since you can't see. I'll dial the phone numbers and write your letter," he said and I nodded.

"Can you dial Marcus' number?" I heard beeping as he pressed the buttons and held out my hand when he was done to take it. I held it to my ear and waited for the ringing to stop. After eight rings a man answered with a gruff heavy southern, "What?"

"How long did you plan to sleep in this time, Marcus?" I asked with a small smile. This man was a mostly nocturnal person down in his Florida bayou. He made a living hunting alligators and loved the solitude of the swaps.

There was a pause where I heard shifting and I could imagine Marcus sitting all of his six and a half feet up and rubbing his shaggy brown beard. "Is that you, Artemis? It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Just a few months. Are you that lonely for my presence?" I asked sarcastically.

Marcus snorted, "No. I was wondering if this was a call to tell me you were coming back to ruin my peace again."

"I didn't ruin your peace last time and you know it. It was your fault that you attracted the Family's attention. But you could look at this call as a warning to ruin your peace if you wanted to." I shrugged a shrug he obviously couldn't see. I could tell Jeremy was watching me and listening to both sides of the call with his advanced hearing.

Another pause, "You finally calling in that favor I owe you?"

"Yeah I am. I need you to spread a couple of rumors along the grapevine. I want the Family to hear a few things."

He sighed and I heard a thump meaning he'd lied back down in his bed. "You know I hate socializing. Especially with other werewolves. I'd have to leave my bayou and everything. I'd have to stop working. Do you know how much money I'd lose?"

I snorted, "Like you ever use that money. You just put under your mattress and hoard it. And you owe me so suck it up. This is a big favor and I need it done."

"Alright, alright. What rumors do you want me to spread?"

"I need you to tell as many werewolves as you can that they pack is moving their home base to Catskills. Come up with some bullshit reason for why. Termites or water damage, I don't care just come up with a reason."

There was silence before he said, "Holy shit, girl. The Pack? What are you trying to do? Are you with the Pack? Are you in trouble? Do you need my help? 'Cause I'll come in a heartbeat."

I laughed lightly, "Calm down, Marcus. I'm in no more trouble than I was in when we met. Yes, I'm with the Pack and I'm helping them out. But can you spread the rumors?"

"Of course I can. You did save my life so it's the least I can do. I'll leave tonight. But just know, darling, my offer to come to wherever you are and help still stands. Especially if it means getting revenge on that Family for disrupting my peace."

I smiled a bit, "Thanks, Marcus. I really appreciate what you're doing. And I may just hold you to that offer."

"No problem, girly. I'll have my phone on me. Get me some revenge for me if you don't call me."

"I will. Good bye, Marcus. Sweet dreams."

"See ya, Artemis. And I will have sweet dreams of my swamp and peace."

I hung up and faced Jeremy. I knew he wanted to ask so I said, "Marcus is an old werewolf who isolates himself. He's not a man-eater if you're wondering." He nodded and I handed back the phone. "Let's call Phillip now."

**Another Chapter.** **Yay!** **And I've set it up so Artemis can finally meet the boys and Reece! This chapter honestly came out of frickin**' **nowhere so I'm really glad at how long and detailed it came out.**

**Review please!**

**p.s. I'm going on a vacation this weekend and I'mgonna** **have to type and upload from my Ipod** **so forgive me for more mistakes that usual and my disappearance. Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8: Moving Out

**I'm back from vacation and ready to get back to writing chapters! I just realized I haven't done this before but if any of you** **readers out there like the Assassin's Creed games and my writing head over to "The Eagle and Hawk Of** **Masyaf**"**. That's the other story I'm working on and it's coming along quite nicely.**

**I don't any of the Women of the Otherworld books or characters. I just own my OCs.**

**Chapter Eight: Moving Out**

I hate this. I really do. I hate that I can't help out at all.

I sat down on the floor in the study with Victoria playing around fuming over my inability to help pack up everything. I'd finished all my calls an hour ago and had Jeremy write up a verycoded letter that only my contact would understand. That letter was off to the weapons company and my contacts in the werewolf world were out spreading the rumors I'd given them as I sat there entertaining Tori. I felt like a burden. While everyone else was busy packing everything into boxes or making phone calls I was sitting alone in the study doing nothing.

I sighed and played a brief tug-of-war with Tori before I heard the unmistakable sounds of Kate and Logan's squeals. Clayton's chastising voice followed their squeals as they got closer and closer. The doors to the study were kicked open and I blindly turned towards the sound. I saw three golden splotches and figured Clayton had each kid under each arm. "Watch them," Clayton growled as he set down the kids.

"Aww! But Daddy! We want to play in the boxes!" Kate whined.

"Stay here," their dad told them before shutting the door to the study.

I heard Kate make a pouting sound before Logan asked, "Do you know any games, Artemis?" He was closer than I remembered.

I shook my head and replied, "No, but I'm willing to learn."

"Let's play hide-and-go-seek!" Kate exclaimed, forgetting that she should be pouting.

"No. Let's play go-fish," Logan suggested more calmly. These two really were yin yang, but at least they got along with each other.

They were just beginning to get into an argument when I interrupted, "I don't think I can play either of those, guys."

"Why?" they demanded at the same time. Well, Kate demanded and Logan asked curiously.

I waved a hand to my eyes, "I can't see."

"Really?" they both chorused in shock.

I saw a flash of color right in front of my eyes and jerked back in surprise before blindly groping for the hand that was waving in front of my face. "Please don't do that."

"You really can't see, can you?" Kate asked, serious for the moment.

"Well, I can see color and movement, but not much else."

"How did this happen?" Logan questioned, sounding very much like a doctor. "You were able to see last night."

I smiled kindly in his direction, "Don't worry about it. I'll be able to see tomorrow morning."

"How?" he demanded, sounding a little upset that he didn't get an answer from me.

I shrugged and answered honestly, "I don't know."

There was a brief silence before Logan huffed. "Fine. Do you know why Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa, and Uncle Tonio are packing everything up?"

"We're going to your Uncle Tonio's house for a while," I answered after a pause, not sure how I should answer. "The whole Pack is going to be there."

"For how long?"

I shrugged again, "I don't know."

"But what about school?" Kate asked, sounding honestly disappointed. That was a surprise. I thought Logan would be the one who would miss school because he seemed to be the scholarof the two.

I cocked my head to the side and absently retrieved a toyTori and thrown away. "I thought kids liked missing school." I honestly didn't know if kids did. I was just going off what I'd heard over the years.

"Kate's not upset about missing school," Logan answered sounding very bored. "She's going to miss her friends."

"What about you?" I asked.

Logan sighed like no 8 year old should. "School is so boring. They teach me things I already know and I don't have any friends. They're all childish." I realized then that Logan was much older than he seemed. To know more than the school curriculum and to think other children his age are immature weren't the thoughts of a normal 8 year old boy.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

But I was drowned out by Kate's loud question. "So what are we going to play? I'm bored!" She drew out the word bored until she was out of breath. Logan suggested a game and Kate shot it down with one of her own. This began an argument that last for ten minutes. In that time I play wrestled with Tori.

"What games do you think we should play?" Logan asked, exasperated, after the ten minute battle.

I thought for a moment before an idea came to mind. I smiled and dug around in Tori's baby bag, "I have the perfect game for you two."

"Really?" Kate asked excitedly. "What's it called?"

I fished out two foam blocks and held them out for them to see. "It's called Chase and Catch," I answered, making up to name on a whim.

"How do you play?" Kate asked curiously.

"You chase and catch these blocks. Whoever catches theirs first wins."

"But they don't move," Logan stated. "How are you supposed to chase something that doesn't move?"

I grinned before asking, "Who said they don't move?" I activated my telekinetic powers and took a mental map of the room. I should've done this earlier. This is like a third sight. I can see with my telekinetic powers guiding me. Once I had the map in my head I closed my eyes to focus on it and lifted the blocks into the air. The twins gasped in surprise as the blocks floated in mid air. I zoomed them over into the center of a wide space and said, "Catch your own block first and you win. Go."

My mental map showed them dashing after the blocks and I moved them in different directions. This was a perfect solution. Not only did the kids get their entertainment but I got to practice my power, which I hadn't had a lot of time to do. And I've never done this on more than one front. Moving two things at once was a little tricky. After a few moments of the twins chasing after the block, giggling and yelling at each other, I focused on a third front. I plucked up one of Tori's toys and waved it in front of her face. She squealed her delight, something she'd probably gotten from the twins because she's never done that before, and reached for it.

It was so strange for my mind to be going to three different directions. There's really no way to describe the feeling other than the ultimate multitasking. I let this go on for a while. Alternating which twin caught their block before beginning again. When I got confident in my three fronts I began to pick random things up from around the room. By the time my headache began to worsen from the mental exertion I had the twins running around, Tori entertained, and five books, a pencil holder, three paper weights, and two picture frames flying and whirling through the air.

I kept this going for a few minutes, not daring to take on any more because my hold on this many objects was more than a little fragile. The kids didn't even sound like they were tiring at all. This game/practice had been going on for about an hour when a voice suddenly demanded, "What is going on here?"

I felt my control snap and the mental recoil slammed into my head enough for me to hiss in pain. I grabbed all the objects that were falling and painfully put them back into their normal places. They moved much slower than before, but I got them put away.

"Mommy!" the twins squealed and I kept up my mental map since it wasn't too painful to do so. The kids ran to Elena and hugged her legs.

"We were having so much fun, Mommy!" Kate exclaimed. "We were playing Chase and Catch! We had to chase around the floating blocks and whoever caught their block first won. I won the most!" Kate crowed proudly.

"No, you did not!" Logan snapped indignantly. "We won the same amount of times. It was a tie."

"No, it wasn't!"

"Yes, it was!"

"Uh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

As the Twins fought Elena came over to where I was sitting. I tensed, expecting her to hit me, despite what Antonio had told me the night before. If I ever used my telekinesis in the Family I was punished severely for it. But instead she asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

I winced at the sound of twins arguing but answered, "It's just a head ache. It'll go away."

I felt a cool hand touch my forehead and drew back a bit. "You're sweating," she murmured.

I nodded and regretted it when my head flared in pain. "I've never controlled that many things at once. And when you broke my concentration the recoil is a lot."

"How are you able to do that?"

I blinked at her before closing my eyes at the light, "Isn't it obvious? I'm a half-demon. A Volo."

Elena was shocked into silence. I resisted the urge to rub my temples and picked up Tori's toy, waving it in front of her face. I almost laughed when Tori growled. She legitimately_growled_ like a wolf. I still had my eyes closed, but I raised my eyebrows and looked in her general direction, "What was _that_, little Tori? Did you just growl? Oh, I'm so proud of you!" I gave her back her toy and picked her up gently. I held her to my chest and opened my eyes just enough to see her. Her head was lying on my shoulder as she chewed on her toy. I smiled despite the pain the confusing colors and light caused me, "You're my little cub, you know that? No one will ever take away my fluffy puppy. You're mine. All mine!" I said all this in a childish playful voice, but Tori seemed to understand more than my tone as she lifted her and smiled at me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a hug before letting go and going back to her chewing.

Elena laughed and I looked at her questioningly. "We've had a few moments like that," she explained. "Clay is always so proud and happy when one of the twins growls. He'll scoop them up and twirl them around, telling them how good of a child they each are."

I smiled softly at that image. Clay really was a good dad for all of his hostile glares and attitudes towards me. I turned and nuzzled Victoria's cheek. She in turn waved her toy violently in my face in a way that said, "Ha ha! This is my toy and you can't have it!" I blew a raspberry at her before responding to Elena, "This is the first time she's ever growled. I can't wait for her to actually start talking. She's only made sounds so far and even then those are rare. She's a really quiet baby."

I think Elena nodded as she sat down next to me, "Yeah, Logan was that way to. Hardly cried at all when he was is vocal enough for the two of them and Logan is smart enough for them both. Logan didn't say his first word until he was a year old and Kate said her first when she was 9 months old. Want to guess what Logan's first word was?" I could hear a grin I her voice and couldn't help but smile back a little.

"Um. Mommy?" I guessed, not really knowing what Logan had been hearing at that time.

Elena shook her head and said, "Nope. His first word was when Jeremy was reading a book to him. A simple baby book of course. But, right when Jeremy was in the middle of the sentence, Logan turns around, takes out his pacifier, points at the book and says, "Stupid" very clearly. It's safe to say we moved on to more complicated books after that." She chuckled as she remembered the memory.

"What was Kate's first word?" I asked, curious to hear what the energetic loud little girl had said.

Elena laughed out loud now. She took a few deep breaths before saying, "Oh, Clay was so proud of her when she said her first word, or I should say first words. See, Nick was over visiting at the time and Clay and Nick are like brothers. They bicker and fight and play poker and sometimes they slip up on their language around the kids. So, one day Nick comes over and we're all sitting down for breakfast and Kate is just staring at Nick. As Clay is trying to get her to eat she just points at Nick and says, "Cheating bastard". Nick chokes in surprise and Clay had to do the Heimlich Maneuver on him. Clay couldn't stop laughing and Nick was so upset. Clay kept saying that if his little girl could see that he was a cheating bastard then it was true." It took her a while to actually get the story out because she kept laughing in the middle of a sentence and had to regain her composure only to lose it a few second later. I tried to imagine the scene, but failed. I couldn't picture such a carefree, laughing, happy moment.

The kids finally stopped arguing, thank god, and came over to see why their mommy was laughing.

"What's so funny, Mommy?" Logan asked.

Elena shook her head and finally calmed herself. "Nothing, kids. I'm just telling Artemis a couple of stories about you two."

Kate jumped up and down, "What stories? Tell us a story, Mommy! Please!"

Logan chorused in agreement, but Elena stood up, "I'm sorry kids, but I have to go help finish packing. I only came to see how you four were doing."

The twins 'aww'ed in disappointment as their mommy kissed their foreheads and left the room. They were silent for a moment before Kate exclaimed, "Let's play Chase and Catch again!"

I shook my head slowly before saying, "I can't lift anything right now, Kate. My head hurts from playing earlier."

"So what are we supposed to play?" Logan questioned.

"Hide-and-go-seek?" I suggested.

Kate cheered as Logan said suspiciously, "I thought you couldn't see."

"I can see better now," I answered, telling a half truth. It was better than explaining how I could 'see' with my telekinetic power.

It was decided that I would count first and we played hide-and-go-seek for a good two hours. By that time we were called into the dining room for lunch. I sat Tori in my lap and dug in hungrily. I had only eaten half a piece of toast for breakfast and that wasn't nearly enough. I devoured 13 sandwiches before I even started to feel like I wasn't dying. My headache went away a little at the nourishment, but was still pounding away in my skull as it remodeled my brain.

After lunch I was told that they were half way done packing and would be able to finish packing by nightfall. Everything had fallen in place as far as moving was concerned. Jeremy decided that they would leave tonight in a big U-Haul through town so the locals saw that we were moving and arrive at Tonio's house around ten o'clock. I was impressed. This house wasn't small in any sense and in a handful of hours four people were going to be able to pack up everything. Well, they were werewolves so that might explain it. And the fact that Jeremy 'sold' Stonehaven so fast was another feat. The Cabals might have helped with that, but this was the fastest move I've ever heard of.

We were forced to go outside into the backyard, for the study needed to be put away. I asked Logan and Katie to go get a big old blanket so we could lay on it outside, and five minutes later we were all on our backs drifting off to sleep. The twins needed a nap after all the running around they did and Tori just needed a nap or she would get cranky. My butt was still getting kicked by the fading sedative and my headache, but I forced myself to sit up and watch over the three young werewolves. My paranoia wouldn't allow me to sleep in the open like this, especially with the kids in my charge.

I cast out my power and had a mental map with a 50 meter radius. If anyone tried to approach us I would know about it.

I felt the urge to Change as I took in the image of the tree line to Stonehaven's forest, but I pushed it down. It had only been three days since I last Changed, so I was good for another three or four days before my body forced me to Change. We'd be at Tonio's then. I wondered briefly if Tonio's house had a lot of forest like Jeremy's before I shook my head at the ridiculous question. Of course he did. He was a werewolf living with seven other werewolves. Of course he had a lot of forest.

Something came into my mental map and I tensed before I realized it was Antonio. I turned to him and held a finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet. He silently approached before coming to sit next to me. "How are you doing, Artemis?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Better now that I can somewhat see," I whispered back.

"I thought you said you wouldn't be able to see until tomorrow morning." He sounded very confused, which was justified.

I shook my head, "I'm not seeing with my eyes. I'm sure Elena told you I'm a half-demon. A Volo, right?"

"Yes, she has."

"Well, I'm using my power to sense everything. With the same power I use to move things I'm feeling everything around me. I have a good sized map of everything in my head right now," I explained.

I gently touched my power to his face so I would be able to sense his facial expressions. Tonio nodded, "That makes sense in a way. Why didn't you use this earlier?"

I shrugged, "I forgot I could do this."

"You forgot that you were a half-demon?"

I nodded, "I don't use my telekinesis very often. Just in emergencies or when I remember that I have it. How's packing coming along?"

Tonio sighed and scratched his head, "It's tiresome. I'll be happy when we have everything put in storage at my house and we can sleep."

"I'm sorry that it's hard on you."

He shook his head and crossed his arms, "It's not. It's just tedious. I called Nick a little while ago. The boys know we're coming tonight. They don't know why, but they know we're coming." I nodded and there was a silence. I sensed that he wanted to say something and remained quiet. After several moments of a pause he said, "Artemis, I should probably warn you."

"About what?" I asked curiously. What was so daunting that a very, very well trained werewolf like me needed to be warned?

"Well, I don't know if you know this, but the scent of a female werewolf to a male is…"

I saw where this was going and helped him out."Intoxicating. I know. You're trying to tell me to be careful with your boys, aren't you?"

Tonio nodded, "Nick and I are around Elena a lot, so we're used to it, but the boys aren't. Reece, Noah, and Kyle are the only three you need to worry about since they've Changed. Reece should be able to control his wolf better than the other two, but Kyle only Changed a year ago so he has the least amount of control. Kyle has a lot of control for only a year, but yours and Elena's scent can be…overpowering."

"I know, Tonio," I murmured, struggling to push back my memories. "I lived for 3 years with the Family, which is made up of nothing but males. I know what my scent does to males better than anyone else."

I closed my eyes and couldn't help but remember the panic, the rage, the pain, the self-loathing. I unconsciously reached back and pulled up my hood to hide my face. I had a brief moment where I felt how truly ugly and broken I really was in my soul. My breath hitched in my throat and I felt tears pool in my unseeing eyes. I just wanted the stains to go away. I wanted to go back in time and stop everything that had stained my soul. But I couldn't. I couldn't even forget what had happened. My soul would never let that go.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I didn't feel the gentleness. I only felt the crushing bruising grip as I was forced on to my back and pinned. I reacted and grabbed the hand, twisting it to a painful degree just short of breaking, and tackled my attacker to the ground. I was just raising a hand, claws extended, to rip out his throat when a voice called me back. I blinked and froze, comprehending what I'd just done.

I slowly got off Antonio, "Sorry, Tonio. I didn't realize it was you."

"Who else could it have been, Artemis?" he asked quietly as he sat up. He didn't ask it curiously. He knew why I had attacked him, or at least had a hunch of why I was so defensive of being touched. I sat with my knees drawn up to my chest and pulled my hood farther down. When I didn't answer Antonio came closer slowly and stated. "You said you were in the Family for years, Artemis. You weren't able to fight very well when you first came into the Family, were you? A newly Bitten female werewolf would've been irresistible to the males." He paused before asking, "Artemis, did they—?"

"Shut up," I hissed. My hands trembled slightly as I moved them to hug my knees. I forgot that he was supposed to be my superior in my panic. "Don't say anything more. Do not ask any more questions. What's the past is the past and I've gotten over it."

Tonio was silent before I felt something strange on his face. It was a tear. I looked blindly at him as if to see for myself. "I'm so sorry, Artemis," Tonio whispered brokenly.

I shook my head and rubbed my arms when I felt the prickle of a Change. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't apologize again." I turned back towards the napping children. After a moment Antonio got up and left without another word.

I stayed there as a silent sentry for the little ones until Jeremy came out a couple of hours later and said it was time to leave for Catskills. I didn't have to look at him to know Antonio had told him of his discovery, but I fooled myself into thinking Jeremy and Antonio knew nothing. I had to or my sanity would be called into question.

I gathered up Tori and her baby bag. Jeremy picked up Kate and helped me to put Logan on my other arm. It was slightly easier when Logan stirred enough to latch on to my neck and hips like a monkey. I walked cautiously through the now eerily empty Stonehaven to the cars in the driveway. There were three cars and the moving truck to drive so it would be just me, the kids, and Tonio in the Suburban. The kids were buckled up in silence, although they woke up anyway, and I was surprised to see a third car seat for Tori. It was probably an old one of the twins.

And then we were driving down the drive way. In the side mirror I watched as Stonehaven was left behind, empty until the Family was taken care of. And I had a feeling that wouldn't be for a while.

**Sad.** **Very sad and depressing.** **Well, you've caught a glimpse of the hell Artemis had to endure when she was with the Family and there are more equally horrid glimpses to come. To say the least Artemis had a very hard and hellish life…. And now I'm really depressed. *sigh*.**

**Reviews please! I would really appreciate it!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Boys

**NOOOOOOO! I'm starting school tomorrow! NO! No more endless hours of writing! No more sleeping in! I have to wake up at 5:30 EVERY MORNING from Monday-Friday. I've been trying to do that all week, ya** **know, to get back on to a school schedule, and that has been an epic FAILURE. I finally managed to do it this morning and the boredom of summer will finally be over so I'm kindadreading and excited about school. I hate being torn in two.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to this story. I wrote a ridiculously long chapter for my other story that was even longer than the one I wrote for this one. It took me THREE FRICKIN' DAYS to finish to my satisfaction. And right now I'm pushing to get you guys** **one last chapter for this story before my free time is cut down significantly by school.**

**I don't own any of the Women of the Otherworld books or its character. Sue me and I'll haunt you when I die.**

**Chapter 9: The Boys**

The ride to Catskills was a tedious one. The twins were awake for most of it and talking and arguing and fussing and just making my headache worse. Jeremy's pills were looking better and better as my headache turned into a migraine.

Victoria was okay for the most part, although I knew she didn't like being strapped in so tightly to her car seat. My telekinesis told me she was frowning at the odd contraption for the first half hour and even attempted to undo the buckle and clip, but her hands weren't strong enough to do either task. Thatdoesn't mean I didn't tell her to stop: it was best to nip bad behavior in the bud before she actually got strong enough to unbuckle herself.

Dinner was a feat in itself. We had packed a cooler filled to the brim with sandwiches and drinks. The twins made a mess of themselves and I had to twist around in my seat to pick up Tori, put her in my lap, feed her and then put her back in her seat. She had started to pitch a fit about being strapped in until I tapped her nose lightly and told her that she'd better stop or she's going to go to bed early. Surprisingly, she did stop, as if she understood me.

And with Antonio driving it was up to me to clean up the twins after they were done and keep them in line as the boredom of driving drove them to act up. Normally I would've had the patience to deal with them, especially since they couldn't help themselves, but my migraine wasn't making things easy.

Antonio and I didn't speak at all on the drive with the exception of during dinner and I didn't eat anything. I was feeling nauseous thanks to the migraine and knew if I ate anything that I'd upchuck it. I told him I wasn't feeling so well and I didn't need my telekinesis to know he looked at me with concern. For a werewolf to willing turn down food was an extreme rarity.

Eventually, the twins fell asleep around 9 o'clock. I expected Victoria to follow suit, but she got fussier and fussier as the minutes passed, stretching her arms towards me and fisting her hands as if she was grabbing something invisible. I knew what she wanted. She'd basically spent her entire life sleeping on my chest with the exclusion of one night a week when I had to go Change. And because she was so used to it she wasn't about to fall asleep in an uncomfortable car seat.

I was trying to convince her that it was safer for her to stay in her car seat when she started making these pleading sounds. Yes, I know I was talking to a 9 month old baby, but I swear she understands most of what I was saying, if not all of it. I finally caved in when she made those sounds. She hardly ever makes a noise or asks for anything extra other than my attention, so I figured it was only fair I give her this.

The little baby smiled tiredly, her eyes already drooping, before she snuggled her head on to my chest and fell asleep within moments. It wasn't awkward to have someone using my breast for a pillow since that someone was an innocent baby. Ifanything it was a comfort to me, having what was most important to me to be so close to my heart where I could protect her.

"How did you learn to take care of her?" Tonio asked softly, surprising me a little after our three hours of silence.

I looked at him with my eyes closed before looking down at Tori. "I learned by trial and error the first month," I answered in a whisper. "Which isn't easy with a newborn, irritable werewolves everywhere, and not a lot of supplies at my disposal. After I escaped with her I was able to look up the answers on the internet and things got a little easier once I knew what I had to do and what to expect."

My telekinesis told me that he nodded, "It must be hard on you, taking care of a baby at such a young age."

I frowned at him in confusion, "What are you talking about? It's… natural for me. It's all I've ever known. And it's not nearly as hard as some of the other things I've had to deal with in my life."

There was a pause where Antonio said nothing and just concentrated on driving. "I am sorry," he finally said and I stiffened a bit before he continued. "For bringing up your 'll tell us what you want when you want and I had no right to rush that. I'm sorry."

I relaxed a little and sighed, "It's fine. It's just something I want to forget. I don't want it to control me for the rest of my life."

We fell back into a silence and I laid back against my chair. My migraine was finally not being aggravated and it was beginning to ease. I rubbed Tori's back and where I couldn't hear her heartbeat like I wanted to, I could feel it beat strongly against my palm. It was a struggle to keep myself awake, with waking up early, and the emotional turmoil, however short it was, and the lulling beat of my charge's heart.

It was another hour before Antonio pulled off the freeway and onto a ramp. I straightened a bit and asked quietly, "What time is it?"

"Ten thirty."

I cast my telekinesis behind the car and felt the other three cars trailing behind Antonio like a convoy. I felt Antonio take out his cell phone and dial a number before turning down the speaker volume. Ringing came softly over the car's speaker and I jumped a little at the unexpected surprise. Since when were you able to call through a _car_?

It was a good thing Tonio turned down the volume because noise erupted once the ringing stopped. "Hello?" a young boy answered. I heard a lot of noise in the background. There were shouts, yells, insults, and laughing. I couldn't help but smile a small smile when I heard that carefree laughter.

I felt Antonio's slight frown as he opened his mouth to reply, but another voice came across the speakers. "What are you doing, squirt? You know better than to answer the phone." The voice belonged to a man and was all playful.

The phone was obviously dropped if the clatter and fainter voices were anything to go by. The little boy squealed with laughter as he tried to gasp out, "You guys…were too bu…busy wrestling! Stop! Stop! Nick please stop!"

The laughter went on as Nick said, "Then you should've told us, squirt! What if it had been a big bad monster that had called? He would have come to get you and would've tickled you to death! And then I would've come to rescue you and tickle you to death too! Do you know how much effort that takes?!" The boy's laughter went to a new level and drowned out whatever else Nick, who was obvious tickling the boy, said.

Antonio's frown turned into a smile and I really wished I could've seen what his emotions were showing in his eyes. He waited patiently until the phone was picked up again and we heard Nick call out, "Reece! You want to take the squirt? He answered the phone."

I heard a faint voice with an Australian accent answer, "He did what? Oh you're asking for it, Henry! Get back here!" We heard Henry's laughter and Reece's teasing voice fade as Henryclearly made a run for it.

My wolf and I stood at attention when we heard that Australian voice. Our heart picked up speed and we began to quiver nearly imperceptibly. My wolf sent the impression of curiosity and faint confusion. She didn't know why we were reacting like this anymore than I did and wanted to find out why. I forced myself to relax when I felt Antonio glance at me.

Nick's voice came clearly over the phone this time as he focused on the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, Nicky," Tonio greeted and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Dad!" Nick yelled and the noise in the background stilled for a moment before there were a bunch of yells like, "Dad's on the phone?!" "I want to talk to Dad!" "Daddy!" Nick's voice was plainly heard saying, "Back you demons! I got to the phone first!"

There were disappointed sounds and insults. I heard one teenage boy yell, "You didn't get to the phone first! Henry did!"

"Shut it, Kyle!" Nick shouted back, but it was obvious he didn't mean it by the playful tone and laughter in his voice. I cast my telekinesis over the twins to see if the noise was waking them up and was glad to feel that they hadn't even stirred.

"Put it on speaker!" someone else yelled.

"Fine, fine," grumbled Nick. "Alright Dad, you're on speaker."

Antonio's smile got bigger, "Hey boys. How are you doing?" There was a chorus of "Good!"s and "Awesome!"s. "Well I wanted to give you boys of warning. We about five minutes away."

There was a silence before Nick began to yell, "Defcon 3! Emergency clean up! Move it! Move it! Move it! We got five minutes to clean up everything! I repeat! Defcon 3!" There was a cacophony of noise and shouts and crashing and I smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Antonio frowned. "Nick," he drawled out.

His son cut him off with a hurried goodbye, "Gotta go, Dad. Don't want the house to burn down! See ya in five!"

There was a click and silence before I asked, "You leave_him_ in charge?" Antonio just blew out a breath. I smiled.

We pulled into a gravel driveway four minutes later and I threw out my telekinesis to sense everything around. The driveway was narrow and trees lined either side of it and the forest spread beyond my reach. The U-Haul, jeep, and sports car followed behind us as we crept up the winding driveway. It took us an entire minute of driving before I felt the trees spread out and encircle a wider area.

I leaned forward unconsciously as the house finally came into my range. My mouth dropped and I couldn't help but whisper, "Holy crap." The house was so huge that I couldn't find the backyard within my range. It was so much bigger than Stonehaven and, if I was feeling it right, it was a very big Victorian home. My telekinesis told me the front yard was very well kept and there were _tons_ of separate rooms. And those were the ones I could sense form my position alone. It felt like it was a three story mansion with two levels above ground and a basement. I also felt the bodies hurrying around the house.

I snorted before turning to Antonio, "They're still cleaning."

I felt him raise an eyebrow, "You can 'see' them from here?"

I nodded, "I have a range of 50 meters in any direction."

"Alright. Let me go in first and tell them to be quiet for the kids." He got out of the car and went through a door in the garage. He called out and all the bodies, wherever they were in the house, made a beeline for him.

I smiled and got out of the car quietly before walking out through the open garage door to where the three adults were stretching in the front yard.

"How are the twins?" Elena asked with a quiet groan as she popped her back.

"Sleeping peacefully," I replied. My migraine was picking up again now that the quiet was gone.

"Did they behave during the drive?"

"As well as a couple of 8 year old could," I answered, adjusting Tori's spot on my chest. She wrapped her arms around my neck and moved her head to my shoulder without stirring at all.

Elena snorted and made her way to the open garage with Jeremy following to help. I stood with Clayton awkwardly. The sad thing was that I couldn't tell if he was glaring at me. I shifted my weight and resigned myself to wait for someone to tell me what to do.

I jumped a little when Clayton asked, "If you had to guess when the Family would attack, when would it be?"

I shook my head, "Things have changed since I'm gone and more so now that I'm with you guys. I don't know."

"But if you had to guess," he repeated, not sounding irritated or edgy at all.

I was glad he wasn't feeling hostile towards me and thought for a moment. "Randall is patient," I answered slowly."Impossibly patient. He's waited years and he can wait more no problem. But now that I'm here… He will take into account that I could tell you everything. It will give him a sense of urgency. If there's anything he hate's more than the Pack, it's seeing years of work go down the drain. He'll want to attack as soon as possible to avoid ruining all his work. So I guess the first chance the Pack is vulnerable. When you're separated or distracted, he'll use the opportunity. He may be patient, but that doesn't mean he hesitates. So I guess the first time he sees an opening is when he'll attack."

I felt Clay nod and stare off into the forest. "I may be the Beta of the Pack, the protector, but I don't know what I'm up against here." I had a good feeling on how much it was costing him to admit he didn't know how to do his job. "You're the only person who knows this group of mutts inside and out and we're relying on you to help us come out on top." I nodded this time as he continued. "But I will say this as Beta of the Pack, mate to Elena, and father to my children. If I even get the faintest hint that you're betraying us I will rip you to shreds and bury you across the country. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," I replied. "And I would expect nothing less."

The front door to Antonio's mansion opened and he came out. I turned my closed eyes out of habit and felt his boys follow him out. The tallest of the boys dashed forward and tackled Clay to the ground. They wrestled on the ground until Clay pinned theman. "You've still learned nothing, Nicky," Clay taunted.

Nick growled playfully, "Shut up, Clay."

"Enough boys," Antonio called. "You'll wake the baby."

I felt Nick frown as Clay got off of him. He took the offered hand and began to ask in confusion, "Baby? The twins are inside and 8 years old. What do you me—?" He stopped when his eyes fell on me. I felt all the other boys eyes turn towards me and I pulled the hood to my hoodie up and shook my hair to cover Tori out of habit. There was an uncomfortable pause in silence before Nick moved towards me. "Who are you? My dad hasn't mentioned you."

"I doubt he had time to," I replied softly. "Things happened quickly."

Nick snorted and still came closer. The way he moved reminded me very much of how Antonio approached me when I was harmonized with my wolf. Like he knew I was a cornered wolf that would attack or flee at any moment. And I honestly didn't know if I would do either. I wasn't sure if I was fine with all the attention or uncomfortable enough to take action. " guys packed up Stonehaven all in one day. And got everything taken care of. That takes skill." I remained silent and Nick stopped a foot and a half away from me. He stuck out his hand, "I'm Nicholas Sorrentino, proud member of the North American Pack and a very handsome man if I do say so myself." That comment earned a couple of snorts from the audience, but he ignored them. "May I have the honor of knowing the name of such a pretty girl?"

I cocked my head to the side and answered without thought. "You need to get your eyes checked." I bit my lip before taking his hand and shaking it briefly, "I'm Artemis Hunter." I felt him open him open his mouth and I held up a finger, "Don't. I already know my name is strange and I don't need your input."

He chuckled, "So you're a werewolf on top of being telepathic?"

I shook my head, "Nope. I'm a werewolf on top being telekinetic."

I felt him cock his head to the side when he scented no lie and was about to ask a question when Jeremy's voice called out, "Now that introductions are done we should unpack the truck."

Nick smiled and turned towards the boys, "You heard him, little soldiers. Get to work!"

The boys grumbled and obviously wanted to call insults, but stayed quiet as Antonio probably ordered. As they moved to the U-Haul I stepped up to Antonio, "Where can I set down Tori so I can help?"

"You don't have to help. The boys are efficient when they aren't arguing or fighting." Nonetheless he led me into the house and up a grand staircase. He turned down two halls before opening the door. "This will be your room." I shrugged off my two backpacks by the door and gently laid Tori down on her back in the center of the bed so there was no chance of her rolling off. She frowned in her sleep and squirmed at the loss of my warmth and feel. I quickly pulled out her baby blanket and set it over her. After another moment of squirming she settled down into sleep again.

As I walked out of the room with Antonio I latched on most of my telekinesis to the baby so I would know when she moved even the slightest bit.

"You really don't have to help, Artie. The boys will have the entire thing unloaded in about a half hour," Tonio said again.

I shrugged and pushed back the pain of my migraine. "I can help so I will."

Antonio looked me over critically before saying, "Alright. And you did a good job with Nick out there. One down six to go." He smiled at that.

I felt…good at his praise, which I thought was odd. I didn't need Antonio's approval do anything. We dodged a young boy carrying a box coming through the door before stepping out of the house. There were three boys in the back of the U-Haul pulling boxes out before jumping out and walking into the house. I could feel their stares on me, but ignored them as I pushed back my hood.

I hopped effortlessly into back of the truck as Antonio went to park the cars in the garage. I sensed someone coming towards the truck, but picked a box up, ignoring him. Though I almost dropped my box when the voice with the Australian accent asked, "So how did you come to be with the Pack?"

I almost opened my eyes to look at the man/boy I'd only seen in a picture and heard his voice, but the thought of the pain that would come stopped me. I felt Reece come up into the truck and watched him with closed eyes. "They found me," I answered.

He plucked two boxes up easily and followed me as I jumped onto the ground. I never wanted to see more than I wanted to now. I wanted to see this man that had caught mine and my wolf's attention. I wanted to see that curly gold hair and those blue eyes. I wanted to _see _him. I felt a weight in my chest and recognized it as sorrow. I was _sad_ at my inability to see this man.

"Where did you come from?" he asked in that accented voice. For some reason it made me want to just lay down and listen to it all day.

"L.A."

"Jeez, you're a long way from home," he remarked and I held back the same comment I let slip with Antonio.

I shrugged, "Things happen once you're a werewolf." We passed Nick and two boys as Reece led the way down some stairs.

Reece chuckled and I frowned at how I felt a shiver of pleasure at the sound, "Yeah. Things do happen. And I don't really have any right to say you're a long way from home. I'm from Australia."

"I know," I murmured.

Reece made a 'duh' sound before saying, "Well I guess that was stupid. My accent gave me away, didn't it?" Even though he was striving for casual I knew he was flustered and a bit embarrassed. I nodded and he continued. "So what were you doing before you were brought into the Pack?"

I answered nonchalantly, "Traveling." No need to tell him everything.

"Oh? What pla—Hey, why are you closing your eyes?"

"She probably doesn't want to see your ugly face," teased one of the three boys who had grabbed boxes before me.

"Go to hell, Ryan," Reece growled. Although it was playful you could tell he was a tad bit irritated.

"I'm already there," Ryan called back as he walked up the basement stairs.

Reece huffed before repeating, "So why do you keep your eyes closed? I promise you I'm not ugly."

"Yes, you are!" I heard Nick yell from somewhere in the house. He must have picked up the comment with his werewolf hearing.

Reece ignored him and I figured it was okay for me to do so too. "I can't see," I answered calmly.

The Australian stopped dead in his tracks and I continued on to the room I had felt all the boys put the boxes in. He finally caught up to me as I set down my box. "What do you mean you can't see? Are you blind?"

I shook my head, but my response was stopped when I heard thundering come down the stairs. I sensed it was Nick and he immediately came up to me. I tensed for an attack, but was surprised when I was suddenly scooped up into strong arms. A memory flashed and I realized this was the man who had stopped me from hitting the ground in the warehouse.

"What are you doing helping if you can't see?" he demanded, quite loudly right next to my ear. I winced, but twisted like the snake I was until I was on my feet and Nick was on his surprised face.

I walked away casually, "I may not be able to see with my eyes, but I can still 'see'. Besides, I'll be able to see again in the morning."

I felt Reece look between me and the stunned Nick before jogging to catch up with me. "You moved so fast!" he exclaimed. "What kind of fighting was that? Tai chi? Jiu Jitsu?Judo?"

My head throbbed painfully and the world spun for a moment. I lightly dragged a fingertip against the wall to ground myself as the dizziness passed. The nausea; however, did not. "Please be quiet," I asked in a whisper.

I felt Reece's energy and excitement die down and felt a hand on my shoulder. "Sorry," he murmured softly. "What's wrong?" Surprisingly, I didn't feel the instant revulsion of someone touching me. If anything I felt immense comfort. I'd never felt that in my life. Not even when Antonio comforted me the night before.

I shook my head and instantly regretted it when I felt the spike being driven into it. I gritted my teeth and rubbed my forehead. "Nothing."

"You're lying," he accused, but there was no anger behind his voice. He was only stating a fact.

I snorted and moved up the stairs, "Yeah. I know."

"May be you should see Jeremy," he suggested and took my hand in his. My hand was instantly swamped with sensations that were all so, so good. My brain tried to memorize everything it could from this touch alone. In that touch I could feel the comfort that he was offering me and I sighed. Then, I felt something strange. I felt my wolf jump forward and try to take control.

I stopped mid-step in the foyer and my eyes snapped open in surprise. The pain hit me hard, but it was only miniscule to the struggle I put up to keep in control. I didn't feel anger or hunger coming from her, only desperation. She wanted something badly and when I sent the impression of a question she sent me the image of Reece that we'd seen from Tonio'spicture. I was confused. Why would she be desperate towards Reece? But I pushed that feeling away as my wolf redoubled her efforts.

I gritted my teeth and hissed out a breath. I was so focused on keeping her back that I didn't see it when Reece's face was suddenly in front of mine. I didn't feel his rough hands cup my cheeks gently. I didn't hear when he asked me what was wrong or when he called out for his dad and Jeremy.

My focus was only on keeping my body. She was so strong, but I was just as strong. She pushed and I shoved back. She tried to wriggle around me and I blocked her. I normally would've given her control if she thought it was so important, but I didn't like her desperation, her absolute _need_. We were equal in strength and cunning, but it was only a matter of time before one of us began to tire and was kicked into submission.

I have no clue how long we fought, but I could feel my mental self beginning to wane in strength, but my concentration was shattered when I felt my body get slammed against a wall with a hand around my throat. I became aware of my vision and saw Clay's blurry face in front of my own and a bunch of other faces a small distance behind him. I felt fear consume me as my wolf swamped me and was able to gasp out, "Run!" before I was kicked out of the driver's seat.

Lupa growled and threw a punch that hit his cheek with full force. His head snapped to the side, but he resolutely kept a crushing grip on her throat. Black dots began to swirl in front of her eyes from the lack of air and didn't panic as she went to claw Clay's face, but her arms and legs were suddenly restrained. Then she began to panic. She would've fought her way out of their grips from her strength alone if her concentration wasn't split from keeping me at bay as I fought for control. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as her vision began to swim.

She finally stopped fighting and looked over Clay's blond head with my telekinesis to the face of Reece, whose was contorted in rage as people struggled to hold him down. He fought violently to free himself, eyes a glowing gold instead of blue that told Lupa it was his wolf trying to fight. She resumed to weakly fight when someone finally punched him in the head and he collapsed in an unconscious heap. But Lupa saw that before his eyes closed the wolf's eyes had met her blind ones.

Lupa's mouth opened and closed silently as her vision finally blacked out and I was able to come to the fore front. The hand holding me up disappeared and I dropped to my knees. I struggled to remember how to breathe as I fell forward. I don't remember ever hitting the floor.

—**Reece's POV—**

Her scent was something he would never forget. The smooth skin of her face was something he would never forget. Her soft beautiful voice was something he would never forget. There were a lot of things he would never forget about Artemis Hunter.

As he walked with her up the stairs from the basement he could tell something was causing her pain even though she gave no outward sign. He just…knew. It was more than her broken arm. Something about her just said pain and he got the feeling that it was more than physical pain.

When she stopped in the middle the foyer he got worried. She froze mid-step like a picture had been taken. She didn't respond to his questions and he felt himself begin to panic as he saw her eyes flicker form black to gold quickly.

His wolf began to push firmly at his control. Not something he couldn't handle, but he knew his wolf wanted to get out. From the moment he laid eyes on this girl he had to fight the urge to glue himself to her side. He just wanted to…protect her. This urge was stronger than what he felt for the younger Pack.

He could hardly remember calling out for his dad and Jeremy out of fear. They came running and he felt a little relief._They can help Artemis,_ he thought. _They can help._ But as his fear slowly receded it came back twice as powerful when Artemis didn't respond to them.

The other boys had come to see what the problem and then Clay came in.

Reece had lost total control of his now raging wolf when Clay slammed the 18 year old girl into a wall and began to choke her. He saw her gasp out "Run!" desperately and then he was gone.

All he knew was the urge to get the other wolf away from the girl. He had to protect her. There was nothing else more important.

And then the other wolves held him down and he went ballistic. _How dare they hold me down?! They forget their place! They will pay!_ Reece could only feel the blinding rage and the frustration and hopelessness when he realized he couldn't free himself. He faintly felt the pain of a Change coming on and then someone hit him in his head. His vision quickly narrowed to a point and the last thing he saw was Artemis with golden eyes pinned against the wall by other wolves.

And then the darkness swamped him.

—**Antonio's POV—**

"What is going on here?" Antonio demanded as he gently lowered Artemis' limp body to the floor. It tore at his soul to see such a strong girl so vulnerable and helpless.

He looked over to Reece, who was also limp and felt another knife through his soul for the same reason. Nick, Elena, and Noah were panting from the effort of keeping the young man down. The air was still filled with scents of both of the young werewolf's rage and desperation. He didn't understand what had happened. Why had suddenly both Reece and Artemis lost control? They both had excellent control.

Jeremy knelt down to examine Reece's head before murmuring, "I hadn't expected this."

"Expected what Jeremy?" I demanded. "Why did my son and Artemis lose control?"

He looked up at Antonio and his face gave away nothing as usual. "They were defending each other," he answered as if it was obvious.

"Why would they do that? They were in no danger," Elena stated as she finally got control of her breathing. Clay went over to her to make sure she was alright. Reece would be in trouble if she wasn't.

Jeremy looked around at all of them with a raised eyebrow, surprised none of them realized what had happened. "They defended each other because they're mates."

**Yay! I'm sorry that I'm rushing this but I have things to do today and that is my excuse for any mistakes you see above. I finally establish hat Reece and Artemis are mates and school starts tomorrow(NOOOOOOO!) and this is surprisingly ling for the amount of time I had. I hope you enjoyed it and ill** **try and put another chapter up as soon as possible.**

**REVIEW REVIEW** **REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10: A Night in Jail

**I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter down! Writers block sucks. And I am very unhappy to inform all my readers that I'm only going to be able to post one chapter a week. School is taking up all my free time to the point to where I only have the weekend as my own. So mark every Saturday as a chapter update. I'm also going to inform all of you that I'm going to change my penname(hopefully I'll be able to do this without doing anything wrong). I finally got tired of this old character name from a very long ago finished story. So, Good bye, Alyssa! Hello, GoldenEagle!(Hopefully).**

**Chapter 10: A Night in Jail**

I blinked open my eyes and was glad to see that I could actually see. What I wasn't happy to see was the bars to the cage I was in. I turned my head and confirmed that I was in a cage before I got to my feet. I sent a silent thank you to whoever was listening as I realized that my migraine was gone. I looked around and saw another cage was across walkway and it was occupied. I felt my wolf's rage briefly as she realized that it was Reece who was the occupant. I examined him carefully for any injuries before soothing my wolf with the fact that he was just sleeping. She calm down. But only a bit.

I tuned my ears to the sounds of the massive house and didn't get much back. They must all have been sleeping. I focused my hearing on the room Tori was in and was happy to hear her sleeping fine.

I turned my attention to the man in the cage across from me and didn't feel much anger. After both of us lost control last night, it only made sense that we be put in a cage. I was angry; however, at the fact that I had lost control. I sent the impression of being pissed to my wolf and she sent the impression of an apology and desperation and Reece again. I still didn't understand.

"Hey," I called out softly. I got no reaction and tried again with a bit more volume. "Hey."

Reece stirred a bit, but didn't open his eyes. I turned my telekinesis on him and tugged at his hair and poked him. He came around quickly and blinked in confusion when he realized no one was around to be poking him. He blinked at his surroundings before focusing his blue eyes on me. When his blue eyes met mine I felt a strange…click somewhere inside me and my wolf's desperation settle and was replaced with joy and happiness. I pushed aside her reactions and focused on Reece.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

The Australian frowned in confusion and rubbed his head tiredly before nodding. "I'm fine. You?"

"Same."

He got to his feet and came to the bars and stood against them like me. He sighed and asked, "What happened last night? I almost never lose control, let alone fight against the others."

I shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. My wolf has never fought for control that badly."

Reece smiled with a bit of humor as he locked eyes with me, "Then we're in trouble." I cocked my head to the side and he continued. "If we can't explain why we suddenly lost control than the others are going to take annoying precautions to make sure we don't do it again."

I shrugged, "It's only fair that we do so. We can do a lot of damage when we aren't in control."

"True." He smiled again and I felt my heart race a bit."Looks like your first night here hasn't been all that good. Not two hours and you're already in trouble."

"I didn't come here to avoid trouble. I came here to prepare against it."

Reece frowned before cautiously saying, "You know why the whole Pack is camping out here, don't you?"

I nodded, "Of course. It was my idea in the first place to come here."

Reece blinked in shock. "Then, why is everyone here?"

I thought for a moment about telling him before shaking my head, "I'm sure Jeremy will tell you all when he's ready. I don't want to tell you before then. As you said we're already in trouble. No need to add to it."

Reece opened his mouth to respond when a baby's wail reached our sensitive ears. I stiffened incredibly and held on to the bars tightly as I glared at the ceiling. I felt Reece watching me, but ignored him as I tuned my hearing to see if anyone was going to take care of Tori. I picked up the heavy steps of Antonio walk towards the room Tori was in. I heard the door open and a few seconds later I heard Tori's crying reach a new pitch and level.

I snarled before yelling, "Bring me Victoria, Antonio! Or so help me I'll come up there myself!" My wolf sent me the impression of rage as well. We couldn't reach our cub to take care of her and we didn't like that. Not one bit. When I heard another pair of footsteps, Jeremy I think, go towards Victoria and her crying go even higher into a near scream, I snapped.

I shouted angrily and blew the cage door open with my telekinesis. I absently picked the lock on Reece's cage to as I sprinted up the stairs in nothing more than a blur and appeared in Tori's room. I snatched Tori out of Antonio's arms and ignored the stunned expression on his face and the surprised look of Jeremy's. I stalked out of the room, grumbling under my breath and scooped up Tori's baby bag. The crying turned into sniffles as Tori realized that I was holding her and she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. I felt someone tug the bag out of my hand and was about to snarl until I realized it was Reece.

I nodded my thanks, to angry to even consider saying anything. I tipped my nose up to scent the air before heading to the kitchen. I motioned for Reece to put the bag on the counter and dug around for her formula and bottle. I was about to start mixing it, when those tanned scarred hands gently pushed mine away. I frowned in confusion and he grinned at me. "I'll make the milk. You take care of her." I felt a bit of respect grow for him. He wanted Tori to be taken care of.

I smiled a bit in return and instructed him quietly on how to make the milk while I paced the kitchen soothing the still hiccupping Tori. I rubbed her back and glanced at the clock to realize that it was 4 o'clock. Tori had woken up for her feeding like I had suspected.

"Thank you," I murmured as Reece handed me the bottle. I moved Tori around and gently coaxed her into eating. When she was I glanced from Reece to the backpack while moving to the doorway out of the kitchen. He got the message and scooped up the bag before following me out. I glanced up at the top of the stairs to see Jeremy and Antonio watching us. I bared my teeth angrily at them for a moment before heading for the basement like the good little wolf I was.

I stopped at the sight of my cage door and Reece chuckled lightly as he threw a casual arm over my shoulder, "Looks like you killed the door, Artie." I toed the wreckage of the metal door which was now hanging on one hinge and bent to an impossible angle. I thought about how to react to Reece's proximity. A part of me would prefer it if he would give me space, but another part of me relished in the warmth and safety and…something else the touch offered. I settled for moving away from him and into the cage he had originally been in. Reece followed with a small smile on his lips and mischief and joy sparkling in his eyes.

I used my telekinesis to close and lock the door behind him and sat down on the thin mattress in the corner. "Can you take out the blanket that I have in the bag?" I asked politely. I glared down at my casted arm, "I'm a little…incapable right now."

Reece chuckled again before sitting down beside me and digging through the bag to bring out the blanket. As he held it out to me, Victoria finished her bottle and burped softly on her own. I smiled down at her as she blew a milk bubble. She laughed when it popped and I blew a raspberry at her. I cooed to her as she looked over at Reece with her large green eyes. "It's okay, little cub. This is Reece." I swear I saw her glance at me and then back at Reece before reaching her arms out to him. I frowned in confusion before giving the baby over to Reece's waiting arms when she began to fuss at my inaction. "I guess she wants you to hold her."

He grinned at took her gently under her arms. I watched him critically to make sure he held my cub correctly before staring at Tori when she didn't go into a screaming fit. I hadn't even given her the safe word for Reece and she already thought he was her new best friend. I watched in awe as she smiled up at the man and patted her hand against his cheek in her way of saying hello.

Reece smiled down at the adorable baby. "Hi, little cub," he greeted, using my nickname since he didn't know Tori's name. "You feel better now that you have food in your tummy now? I would too. Soon you're gonna be a werewolf and eating ten times that much. And you're gonna be the most adorable wolf ever. You're gonna have silky soft black fur, just like your hair is now. And then you and I are going to play all day and get dirty and then get yelled at for getting all dirty. Me and you aregonna have a lot of fun. I just know it." I felt my heart melt a little at the missing scent of a lie. He was telling the truth.

Tori smiled, but yawned a moment later. She blinked and turned to reach for me. Reece handed her over and Tori immediately burrowed into my neck. I cooed and slowly moved to lay down, pulling the blanket from Reece's grasp to drape it over the 9 month old to ward of the chill of the basement. But still she shivered. I frowned and thought about going back upstairs to get another blanket when Reece interrupted my thoughts with a soft, "Here".

He laid down beside me and grabbed my hips to gently turn me on to my side so Tori was in between us. He took the blanket and set it to rest over both of our shoulders as I moved Tori into a more comfortable position. I glanced up into Reece's blue eyes in shock when I felt his arm worm its way under my head as a pillow. He grinned and I unconsciously did the same to him. He smiled and smothered a yawn, "Good night, Artemis."

"Good night, Reece," I murmured back, and shocked myself by letting my head fully rest on his offered arm.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nose and tuned my ears to the two beings resting beside me. It was the most heavenly scents and sounds I'd ever experienced. The sweet, innocent scent of baby, grass, and a little wolf was Tori and the stronger scent of forest, heat, and strong male wolf was Reece. The sounds of their hearts beating hearts, soft and loving was Tori and Strong and sure was Reece, mixed with the soft sound of air moving in and out of them was amazing. But put the two together and I felt my wolf and I relaxing like I had never done before. I could feel every muscle I owned melt to jelly and my mind begin to empty and go into a pleasurable haze. I was just beginning to fall asleep, when I felt curious.

I felt something inside me connect with something else. Something I just knew was Reece. I could literally feel my wolf get up and greet a foreign wolf. She pushed her nose into the neck of this wolf and took a deep shuddering breath as the foreign wolf did the same to her. The male foreign wolf lovingly licked my wolf on her muzzle and coaxed her to lie down. Once she did he walked behind her and laid down. He was watching her back even as they went to sleep together. I'd never felt my wolf feel so content or happy.

I brushed off this scene as a dream and fell fully into sleep with Reece's soft breaths touching my face and my own breaths ghosting over his.

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	11. Chapter 11: Tori's Start A Mother's End

**I'm on time! For once I'm on time! That's so cool! It's Saturday and here's the chapter I promised! Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 11; Tori's Start.****A Mother's End**

I was dreaming. I knew that and I let it happen. I was sitting in a clearing in a forest. I felt at peace and happy. So peaceful. I turned my eyes to look at the wolves doing various things. Some were rough housing and mock fighting with their endearing growls and yips. Some were cleaning the blood from our recent hunt off each other. And some were just layingaround watching like I was.

There were six male wolves and two females, three if you counted myself. The blond female wolf was roughhousing with an identical blond wolf, who didn't seem interested in playing, but let the she-wolf have her fun on him. The other female blackwolf was laying with two other mellow male wolves as they took turns cleaning each other of blood. The males, a small black one and a large almost red wolf, lay on either side of the female, protecting her. Even though the males tried to clean the female first, she wasn't having any of it and snapped at them when they tried to still her. When they backed off she went about cleaning one of the males while the other helped her.

The remaining three were mock fighting. The largest of the trio, a dark brown, was keeping the two smaller wolves, a lighter brown one, and a dirty blond wolf, busy with his "ferocious" attacks that they dodged and countered with the energy of cubs despite the fact they were full grown.

I sighed happily at the sight of my Pack safe and carefree, feeling fulfilled that my job as an Alpha was being done well. Though my happiness grew when a very large blond wolf silently padded up to where I sat alone. I closed my eyes and felt my heart nearly explode in happiness as my mate buried his nose in my scruff. He gently licked my muzzle to remove it of blood since it hadn't been done yet. I took a deep breath through my nose and breathed in my mates comforting musky, heated, forest scent. I shuddered my eyes in pleasure as my mate pampered me with such love and care, and when he finished I turned to do the same to him. After we were both clean, my mate nudged my front legs with his muzzle, telling me to lie down. I did so, wary of how I laid on my bulging stomach. I had to roll on to my side because my stomach was so large, but I was fine with that as long as my stomach wasn't disturbed.

It had been depressing when I hadn't been able to participate in the hunt tonight. My stomach wouldn't allow me to move faster than an easy trot and so the large dark brown wolf had had to sit out as well to guard his Aloha while the others brought back the food. But it wasn't depressing now. Our pack was full and happy and that was what mattered.

I lifted my head briefly when my mate came around and gently nosed my stomach, softly inhaling and exhaling, as if he could scent our cubs inside me. Our cubs. My heart nearly exploded again.

My mate touched his muzzle to mine, telling me he was proud of me, before I turned my head at the sound of a yip. The young black female trotted over to me where I lay and nuzzled her Alpha. I licked her muzzle and swatted my paw at her in play. She immediately bounced backwards to avoid the gentle hit before pouncing forward and swatting my jaw in response. I mock growled as my mate took up his post behind me, watching for any danger to his pregnant mate.

Soon the others drifted over to us and greeted us with so much love that it made my heart ache. They all began to lay around me, with the strongest and biggest of our pack on the very outside, so they could protect the vulnerable younger wolves and their near defenseless Alpha should they be attacked while they slept.

My mate touched muzzles with me one last time beforelaying down against my back. I rested my muzzle on the side of the black females side and closed my eyes, falling asleep to the scent of my mate and the cub that wasn't my own, but the one I'd raised as my own.

I slowly opened my eyes to darkness and unconsciously moved my hand to rest on my flat, muscled stomach. I wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relived that that had only been a dream. I blinked blearily, sensing no danger so no need to be alert at the moment. I looked down at the sleeping faces of Tori and Reece before looking out through the bars in thought.

_Such a strange dream_, I thought absently before laying my head back down on Reece's arm. I ran it over in my head and committed it to memory so I wouldn't forget it. What I remembered the most was the feeling of being pregnant. It was strange that it was so vivid given how I'd never been pregnant before, but Victoria's mother had often talked to me deep into the night with her soft beautiful voice about everything she was feeling. The dream was slightly different from her description.

Victoria's mother had said that she was happy and afraid that she was going to have a baby. She was happy that she would have someone that was irrevocably hers, an adorable baby boy or girl who would always look at her with love. But she was also afraid, because she knew that Randall would snatch up her baby and train it to be his. If it was a boy, he would be brutally trained into the perfect soldier. If it was a girl… the thought of the horrors the little girl would face from a young age made me shudder.

But most nights, when Tori's mother wasn't worrying about her baby's future, she was telling me about every single thing she was feeling. Most teenagers would brush it off as annoying having to hear every single detail of pregnancy, but I had been morbidly curious. I had luckily avoided getting pregnant in the first months of my stay with the family. I'd taken to many beating to be able to hold a child inside me and after that I was able to fend for myself. And when I had been assigned to watch over Tori's mother when Randall got her pregnant, I'd been curious to the point of exploding. And Tori's mother satisfied my curiosity.

She told me that it was such an odd feeling at first to feel something inside you, but it became a source of happiness for her. She said that she would look down at her growing stomach and just feel happiness bloom inside of her. She looked down and saw that she was holding something incredibly precious inside of her. She told me about knowing that she was vulnerable, but being okay with it because she knew that I would protect her if anyone tried to hurt her. She told me it was strange at first: that you could almost feel your stomach getting bigger. She told me about how wonderful she thought it would be when her baby was born and she would be able to breast feed him and hold him close. She told me about her cravings and I did my best to help her get what she wanted.

And then one night Tori's mother fell ill. She could hardly move at all. She was so pale and weak that it scared me for the first time in years. Her stomach was so big by that point, about the size a woman would be when she was at 9 months instead of 4 months. I tired m best to make her better by making her eat and drink and give her antibiotics and vitamins, but nothing helped. And she got weaker.

Randall found out.

Randall didn't care about Tori's mother. He only cared about the pure blood werewolf that she carried. He ordered a C-Section.

I nearly killed him. I fought harder than I ever had before and nearly succeeded in tearing out the bastard's throat. I would've if Bud hadn't shown up and held me long enough for Randall to get his revenge.

So I had fought against Bud as he held me as they cut into Tori's mother. Her screams still ring in my ears. Her sobs and pleas to stop, to stop cutting her open, to stop hurting her baby still haunted me late at night. Sometimes I swear that she would be right behind me, holding her very pregnant belly, for her voice was so clear to me. And I had stood there and done nothing. I had only watched as a trained bastard of Randall's took a kitchen cutting knife and sliced carelessly into the woman. I screamed and ranted and cursed as loud as I could at everyone in the room in every single language I knew despite the blows I got to shut me up. I had been in an absolute blind rage.

It had frozen only for a few minutes, when Tori had been pulled from her womb quiet. I finally fought my way out of Bud's grip, breaking his knee in the process, and took the silent baby out of the careless bastard's arms with my lightning speed. The room had been silent as I leaned down to whisper to the baby, patting her back gently to encourage breathing. I had spoken without thought of everyone else in the room. "Take a breath, _Bambina_," I'd whispered. "You have to take a breath. You need to fight. Take your breath. Take your breath for the mother who has waited so long for you. Fight for her as she fought for you." With one last firm pat the tiny fragile baby in my arms hiccupped and began coughing and crying.

I scooped out the mucus in her throat and mouth as gently as I could and scooped up a towel to wrap her in as I walked over to where Tori's mother was watching me with dull eyes. I got down on one knee and let the weak dying woman see her baby. "It's a girl," I had gently murmured as the baby slowly began to quiet.

Tori's mother hiccupped a small breath and smiled as tears pooled in her eyes. She reached a shaking hand out and gently caressed her baby's rosy cheek. The baby quieted completely at the touch, as if knowing it was her mother's loving touch. "Oh, my child," she had cooed. "It's so good to finally see your face. I've waited a long time to meet you. Sadly, this is the only time I'll be able to talk to you." Her tears had spilled over then and ran down the side of her face, her beautiful smile disappearing to be replaced with a face that was trying hard not to break down. "So, listen close. You are so very special and I love you with all my heart. I never once have or will hate you. You are more special than you will ever realize and you'll have a hard road in front of you. And I'm so sorry I won't be able to help you down that road." Tori's mother had lost her battle and openly sobbedwith her chin quivering as she continued to stroke her child's face. "I will always be with you, watching you grow up into a beautiful strong young woman. Never forget that. I love you, my little victory. My Victoria." She had sobbed again and her desperate green eyes darted to mine.

"Artemis," she had called weakly. I leaned down closely so I could catch her words. They were so faint that I barely even heard them with my advanced werewolf hearing. "Please don't let my baby go through what you and I did. Protect her. Get her away from here and raise her in safety. Help her. Love her. Love her and be her mother where I couldn't."

Tears had begun to silently stream down my face as I looked at her and said, "With my life. My life and happiness before Victoria's. Always."

Tori's mother's sobs stopped at my words and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she had whispered. "For everything."

I nodded and couldn't stop a single quiet sob from escaping me and shakily brushed a sweaty strand away from her forehead with a bloody hand. "Shh… It's okay. You can rest easy. You're going to wake up soon and you'll have Victoria in your arms. You'll both be safe and happy. Nothing will hurt you two ever. I'll protect you two like I've always done." I smiled through my tears as I lied through my teeth to the dying woman.

Tori's mother had smiled back and her eyes began to slide closed. "That sounds good," she murmured in agreement, but her tears never stopped.

I rested a trembling hand on her cheek and leaned in close one last time. "Good bye, Sister-Wolf." I watched as Tori's mother's eyes flashed gold for a moment before they closed. She released her last breath. Her heart beat its last beat. Her lips smiled its last smile and told its last kind word.

Tori's mother had died due to blood loss, but she brought her precious baby into the world before passing. She entrusted that baby into my care before she died.

She died without a name.

The baby, Victoria, had begun to wail, somehow knowing that her mother, the person who had whispered to her in the womb and told her how much she loved her every single night without fail, had just died. I bowed my head and let my tears fall as I held the baby close to my chest. My tears had fallen on Victoria's tears streaked red face, and we mourned the passing of a kind person that we would never forget.

And then they bastard's tried to take Victoria.

It had started with a rough hard hand on my shoulder. But before that hand could do anything more, I snapped. My wolf, who was blind with grief at losing a fellow she-wolf, harmonized with me for the first time, and we went on a rampage. Not ten minutes after she was born, Victoria had been in the presence of six deaths, two mortally woundedwerewolves, two cowards, and a murderess.

I had vowed after I escaped that night that the sweet innocent baby would never be close to killing if she couldn't help it.

I jolted back to reality as I felt a rough thumb caress my cheek. I jumped a little and looked blindly at Reece's face a mere six inches from my own. "What's wrong?" he asked in a quiet sleep-rough voice, and I realized I was crying.

I closed my eyes and whispered, "Nothing. Nothing, but the past."

My tears stopped flowing for the moment and I looked at Reece to see him critically evaluating me, debating whether to push the topic. He eventually decided not to and pulled me a bit closer so his hand could rest on my back and rub soothing circles into my muscles. I looked down at the 9 month old baby when she stirred at the slight movement and thought with sorrow. It had only been 9 months since Tori's mother had died. Only 9 months. Then why did it feel like yesterday?

Tears began to escape my eyes again and Reece scooted closer until our foreheads were touching. I shuddered out a breath that sounded a bit like a sob as I allowed myself to be held. I gently ran a hand over Tori's small back and my tears came harder until I was regularly sobbing as quietly as I could. It was so unfair, what had happened to Tori and her mother. Unfair beyond believing, and I seemed to be the only person who realized it.

Reece began to make soothing sounds in an effort to get me to calm down and continued to rub my back. Time passed and slowly my sobs turned into hiccups and sniffles as my eyes began to slide close due to emotional exhaustion. It was only when Reece whispered, "Go to sleep. I'm here. Nothing is going to happen. I'll protect you two" that I let one last tear go at the memory his words jogged and began to drift off to sleep.

As my mind turned hazy, it turned back to my dream. On how pleased and happy I'd felt to feel my little cubs kick and squirm inside of me. On how satisfying it felt to have my stomach feel weighed down and heavy. On how safe I felt with my mate and pack caring and protecting me.

I wondered hazily if that's how Tori's mother felt before she got ill even if I had been only one wolf protecting her.

I hoped she did feel that way.

**Oh god. *Blinks eyes and wipes away tears*. God, I don't know if im** **being over emotional, but I almost started crying as I wrote about Tori's Mother's death. I barely held back, and only because I'm at the library with plenty of people who would look at me funny if I broke down crying. I never really expected to write about Tori's birth and her mother's death like this. I originally thought that Tori's mother would give birth naturally and just die. Kaput.** **Good bye. But that's not what the story wanted. It pulled this horrible death and birth out of me and there was nothing I could have done to stop it. And I don't think I'll change .** **I hope you found this as moving as I did(** **or I'm being an overemotional woman) and I hope you enjoyed it.**

**REVIEWS!**

**p.s. I'm kinda** **working on a third story as well as the two I have currently published. It's a transformers fanfic** **so if you like transformers and my writing, keep on the ** **only prewriting right now, with only two chapters done and I'm just seeing where this story is going to go. I'll probably publish it in a week or two when I have 5-10 chapters completed and edited.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Oh my god I'm so sorry! Two weeks without an update and this has nearly driven me insane. The first week I had a bit of writers block since there were so many ways for Artemis to formally meet the boys and then when I had it figured out by the second Saturday my bike decided to break and I wasn't able to get to the library.**

Chapter 12: The Sorrentino Family

I came awake in a bleary snap: the sound of approaching footsteps having woken up my instinct to be aware when any on was around. Slowly disentangling myself from the baby blanket and Reece's arms, I sat up without waking up my other two cage-mates. I shivered violently at leaving the heat of the blanket to the cold basement air and looked to the side of the cage where the approaching person would appear soon, but he was still coming down the grand stair case upstairs.

Reece stirred and one hand seemed to grasp at where I had once lain down before his startling blue eyes opened when he realized I wasn't there. For a second, I thought I saw a flash of gold in his eyes until they turned and met my eyes, blue. Reece cocked his blond head and his eyes held an unspoken question. In answer, I tucked some hair behind my ear and looked in the direction of the descending footsteps. He blinked to let me know he understood before laying his head back down and closing his eyes, falling asleep for all intents and purposes, but I sort of knew he was awake and listening.

When the footsteps went into the kitchen, I turned my attention to Reece and Tori. Tori was in her customary position on her tummy with her butt slightly up in the air while Reece slept close to her with the arm I had used as a pillow above her head and the other arm limply hung over the 9 month old and the baby blanket draped over their shoulders. A part of me wasn't comfortable with a stranger close to my baby, the same part that didn't like the slightest hint of danger near my charge, but another part of me just accepted it as it was: that Reece wouldn't do anything to hurt Tori.

My wolf sent me the impression of safety as I brought one leg up to my chest and leaned back against the cold cement wall, resting a limp arm on my knee. I didn't like it that I wasn't able to understand my wolf. I've always been able to tell what she was feeling and for what reason, but ever since we showed up at the Sorrentino house she's been making absolutely no sense. There should be no reason that she should be feeling safe and happy and excited when in new foreign territory, especially with Tori with us and surrounded by over a dozen male werewolves. It and she did not make sense.

My eyes, which had been staring at a scrape on the cement wall moved down to my foot, which had just been tapped. I followed the arm up to Reece's face. Once he saw that he had my attention he mouthed, "What are you thinking?"

I shook my head a tiny bit before mouthing, "Nothing."

"You sure?" he mouthed back.

I nodded and he relaxed back into laying down, watching Tori as she slept. He looked back up at me after a moment and continued our silent conversation. "What time does she usually wake up?"

I shrugged, "Six in the morning, but I can't tell what time it is so I don't know how much longer until then."

He nodded and smiled as he looked down at the baby. "She's so cute," he mouthed, rubbing Tori's back.

"She is," I agreed, trying to decide if I like Reece touching Tori.

"Is she your little sister?" he asked before I could decide. I frowned and shook my head, not offering an explanation. He didn't take the hint and looked confused as he mouthed, "I don't get it. You're both werewolves and you're taking care of each other. If she's not your sister then how is she related to you? You don't just come by female werewolves. Let alone bornfemale werewolves."

I looked off in the distance, considering if I should tell him a little, and did so once my wolf urged me to. "Her mother died after she gave birth to Tori. Before she died she asked me to take care of her daughter. I've been taking care of Tori ever since she was born." Truth all of it. Just some parts that were missing. My wolf sent me her displeasure at my half-truths and I sent her back my irritation.

Reece had a look of sympathy and sadness as he gazed down at the 9 month old. "I'm sorry," he mouthed after a moment. "That must be hard on the both of you. What was her mother's name?"

I looked at the ceiling, tracking the footsteps as they moved out of the kitchen. They met up with a second pair of quieter footsteps at the stairs before they moved to the basement door. "I don't know," I answered without thinking, and regretted it when I saw that shock and sadness was written on Reece's face.

I kept my seemingly nonaggressive and passive position staring at the spot where our visitors would appear in a few seconds, but my position with one leg drawn up and a hand on the ground was actually a better way to get to my feet faster and react to danger. Out of habit, I tilted my head and let my hair fall and cover most of my face. Reece was watching me with sharp eyes, but I never took my sight from where our visitors would come into view.

It was Antonio and Jeremy. They both glanced at us before their gazes were inevitably drawn to the door to my old cage. It was bent nearly in half and hung on only the middle hinge. I felt absolutely no embarrassment as both of them turned towards me with raised eyebrows and offered nothing to explain my violence towards the innocent door. I was still pissed at the two of them for not bringing me Tori and was in no mood to put forth the effort of making nice. Jeremy smoothed out his features and just asked us, "Do you have control of your wolves?"

I nodded silently, face blank, while Reece just grinned and answered with a soft, "Yup."

Jeremy nodded and took the keys to the cage out of his back pocket, but I used my telekinesis to pick the lock and swing open the door just as he was reaching for it. He raised an eyebrow at me and I gave no response as I stood from my position. It was a power play. It was me showing that they couldn't hold me in a cage and that I'd only stayed in it because I allowed myself to. Reece sat up and folded the baby blanket while I scooped up Tori, which was awkward thanks to my cast, and were soon walking out of the cage.

Following Reece, the four of us went to the kitchen and I was a little amused that Reece went straight for the fridge and began to raid it. I leaned against the counter and silently watched as Antonio went to get some coffee and Jeremy leaned against another counter. The silence between us was somewhere between awkward and companionable.

My eyes felt dry and gritty from crying last night and I just wanted to close them and try and catch up on the sleep I be I can get in a nap today, I thought hopefully as I slowly blinked. I really loved my sleep and got it whenever I wanted to. Whenever I felt the slightest bit sleepy I would find somewhere comfortable, or at least suitable, and crash with Tori in her afternoon nap, and even when I was bored, I would lay down and drift off into a nap. I loved naps. It was too bad I couldn't get a lot of them.

I stifled a yawn and watched as Reece began to mix eggs and pour them into a heated frying pan. He seemed at ease cooking, reaching almost without looking for spices and seasonings, humming a little tune under his breath.

"How are you?"

I didn't even have the energy to jump as I turned my head and found Tonio leaning against the counter next to me. He had spoken quietly, unwilling to break the silence of the huge house. "Peachy," I replied dully, blinking slowly again.

Antonio frowned at me. "You didn't sleep well?"

I gave him incredulous look and asked, "You put me in a cage last night and you're asking is I slept well?"

"We didn't have much choice," Jeremy remarked as he moved to gather plates from the cupboards.

I flapped my casted arm at him and frowned before quickly bringing it to support Tori. "I know that. I'm still giving my wolf grief for that. And it was the fact that it was cold that bugged me. I hate the cold." I shuddered involuntarily as the thought of all the cold dank rooms I'd been in and wished for a simple blanket came to mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Reece glancing my way, but I ignored him. My admission would be detected as a truth since the cold had been bothersome and that I absolutely loathed the cold.

Reece covered his glance by turning and facing me with a brilliant grin. "Thank god I found someone who shares my hate of the cold. I swear everyone in this house is insane with how they love the snow and roll around in the poisonous white stuff." He wrinkled his nose in disgust and a corner of my mouth kicked up in a smile.

Antonio chuckled as he held his coffee to his lips. "Then you two aren't going to be happy when I say that we're supposed to get snow in a week or two."

Reece's jaw dropped as he stared at his foster dad in shock. "So soon?" he demanded. "But it's only October. Halloween hasn't even come around!" Antonio shrugged. When Tori made a small noise and nuzzled my neck, Reece winced and whispered, "Sorry."

I shook my head and nodded to the clock mounted on the wall above the stove he was cooking at. "It's getting about time that she woke up. Not your fault." I looked down and watched the always adorable scene of Tori trying to fall back asleep by moving her head on my shoulder, trying to get into a more comfortable position, before finally lifting her head and opening her eyes, blinking them blearily. I smiled at the sight of those fuzzy green eyes and blew air over the baby's face. That woke her up as she blinked in confusion and looked up at me. "Morning, little victory," I whispered a little sadly. It was what her mother had called her and I used it whenever I was feeling nostalgic. "Did you sleep well?" Her hand came up and tapped my cheek and she smiled her greeting.

Antonio chuckled and I glanced over at him as I caught the chubby little hand in my lips and pretended to chew on it. "It looks like she's slapping you," he explained and I shook my head, releasing the hand of the now grinning baby.

"No. I've had her slap me before and she knows the difference between slapping and tapping." I blew a raspberry at the 9 month old, who was now looking over the rooms occupants with curious and wary eyes. "It's her way of saying hello." I watched with interest as Tori looked at Tonio withcuriosity, probably wondering if he was still safe to be with, then looked at Jeremy with as wary and cautious eyes as a baby could have, before smiling at Reece and waving hello.

Reece grinned and waved back before picking up the pan and moving to portion the eggs on to plates. "Morning, Ankle Bitter! You hungry?" When he glanced at me he cocked his head in confusion and asked, "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

I was frowning down at the baby in my arms and quickly covered by smiling when said baby turned to see what Reece was looking at. "No," I assured absently as the baby began to look around the kitchen and I went back to frowning in confusion. "It's her. I've never seen her take to someone like she does you. I thought it was just a onetime thing last night, but apparently not."

"Babies naturally like anyone they want. Why would you be confused about this?" asked Jeremy.

I glanced at him and shook my head. "Normal babies, may be. But not Tori."

Reece stopped for a moment and questioned, "You think that because she's a born werewolf that she doesn't like strangers?"

"The twins loved pretty much everyone when they were little. Still do," Antonio intoned.

I shook my head again and wondered if that action would be like my sudden tendency to sigh. "No. Tori just doesn't trust anyone but me. If anyone else tried to pick her up she would start screaming and struggling, but as soon as she's in my arms she quiets down." I glared at the two men, "You two know this from last night." Antonio muttered 'Sorry' and Jeremy just nodded his head in understanding.

Reece stopped what he was doing altogether as he frowned at me. "Wait. I'm confused. If she freaks out whenever someone who is not you picks her up, then do you take her with you when you Change?"

"No. I leave her with sitters."

"Then how do you get Tori to not scream whenever you leave her?" Tonio asked, and I saw that I had all three of the werewolves thoroughly confused, even Jeremy, who was subtly tilting his head to the side.

I sighed and explained, "I have code phrases for her. When I say them and associate whoever or whatever with the corresponding phrase, she gets what I want her to do." They still looked confused, having only understood a little of what I was saying. I shook my head and commanded, "Watch." I tapped Tori on her shoulder and the baby quickly turned to look at me. I looked and pointed at Jeremy from where he was sitting in a barstool. "See how she doesn't quite like Jeremy?" I asked, referring to her wary facial expression. "Well, not only did last night not help his relationship with her, but he's never held her before and I've never told her if he was safe for her. If her were to pick her up right now she would start screaming and crying like last night. But if I do this…" I walked up to Jeremy and he turned in his seat to face me. Tori looked up at me with her inquisitive green eyes and I clearly said, "Its safe, Tori. He's safe." I hesitated before handing my charge over to the Alpha of the North American Pack.

Tori frowned and looked back at me as Jeremy held her correctly and I smiled in encouragement. She critically looked over Jeremy's face before bringing up her hand and slapping the man. Antonio and Reece broke out laughing loudly and Tori almost seemed to smirk. Jeremy looked at me and asked dryly, "I take that was a slap and not her way of saying hello?"

I nodded and controlled my smile. "I think that's her payback for last night."

He nodded before turning and very seriously saying, "I'm sorry, Victoria." The baby smiled and tapped his cheek, saying hello finally.

I stepped up and took the baby back in my arms and wandered over to the counter. "Now that was only a temporary code phrase. It only works until I come and get her. You can never pick her up without a problem again unless I either say the phrase again or give the permanent one." I sat the baby on the counter and kindly told her, "I'll be right back, Tori." The baby smiled and waved good bye as I left the kitchen. "Try picking her up, Tonio," I suggested as I peeked around the doorway corner.

Antonio raised an eyebrow and went to do as I said. His hands never touched Tori, for when she saw those hands coming closer she glared up at the full grown man and growled. It was surprisingly menacing to be coming from a baby and I grinned as Tonio backed away from the baby, hands in the air and a shocked and wary look on his face. Tori went back to calmly looking around the room and I came back in. I kissed her forehead and tickled her tummy until she was laughing. "That was great, Tori. Good growl! You scared even the big bad wolf!" She laughed and held her arms up to be picked up and I shook my head and motioned for Reece to come closer. "Now this is what has me confused," I murmured as the blond Australian came closer. "Reece has never picked her up nor spent more time with Tori and yet she does this." I waved at the blond man that was now holding my laughing baby. She was laughing loudly at Reece's antics as he made funny faces and made odd sounds and I couldn't help but grin despite my confusion. "I just don't get why she's like this with Reece."

I missed the look that Antonio and Jeremy shared and was about to go take back Tori when there was a crash from up stairs and a surprised yell. I instantly dropped into a crouch and turned my nails into claws, thinking that the Family was attacking now. My heart raced as I sprinted out of the kitchen and only made it to the bottom of the stairs before I heard a boy shout angrily, "Damn it, Ryan! It's too early in the morning for this shit!"

"Language!" Antonio called as I heard the sound of other people muttering and beds creaking as everyone woke up. I also heard the sound of laughter and angry shouts and the sounds of someone chasing another person. I went back into the kitchen and sat down at the table, picking up a fork and watching as Reece danced around the kitchen with Tori, distracting her from the loud noises.

I dug into my eggs and Antonio shook his head with a smile on his lips. "Welcome to the Sorrentino household," he said, looking at me.

I'm absolutely positive that Jeremy hid a smile by taking a drink of his coffee as Clayton's voice was heard yelling at the boy's to 'Shut the hell up!'. Antonio didn't even yell to correct the other werewolf.

I wondered briefly what I was going to do about seven teenage boys being in the same proximity with me. Beat them up or help them pull pranks?

I honestly didn't know.

**So I in fact didn't have Artemis meet the boys. I put that off until this Saturday. Still having trouble figuring out the details. Sorry. Anyway, this was a filler chapter and I promise to make the next chapter worthwhile, filled with humor and antics of teenage boys and two little children. Sorry for any mistakes, I'm hurrying to finish this since imrunning out of time.**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry! No excuses except I got grounded from the library.**

**Chapter 13: The Boys**

Reece met me half way when I got up to take Victoria from him, anticipating my want to hold her when I heard the running footsteps and shouts coming down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Tori happily smiled at me before snuggling down into my neck as I tossed my hair over her in habit. I abandoned my eggs in favor of getting Tori her breakfast.

It was as I was putting the bottle in the microwave that two boys ran into the kitchen. One was giggling like mad and looked like a small teenage boy and the one chasing his looked about 15 or 16 and looked angry as he chased the little teen around the kitchen, yelling insults, but when I caught the scent of Changed werewolf from him, I knew he was only playing if he hadn't caught the little runt.

I pressed against the counter to avoid getting run into as the two dashed by and I saw the older glance at me once before he resumed his chase. That is, until Antonio reached out and plucked the smaller boy up by the back of his pajama shirt and effortlessly held him in the air as he grabbed the older boy in a head lock.

Both of them laughed as Antonio grinned and play growled at them. "You two are silly. Calm down." He let the two go and they were still grinning as they took seats at the small breakfast table. I assumed a bigger table was in a nearby room so everyone could sit together. Tonio shook his head before turning to me with a smile and waved a hand at the two teenagers. "This Kyle Moore and Ryan Hill, Artemis," he introduced, dubbing the older boy Kyle and the smaller Ryan.

The both smiled at me and I nodded back, going over Antonio's mention of them back at Stonehaven. If I remembered correctly, which I always did, then Kyle was Changed and brother to Henry. He had been a werewolf for about a year and as I watched I saw his nostrils flare and his pupils get larger at my scent, but he hid his reaction well as he reached over and snagged Tonio's toast. Ryan hadn't Changedyet. He was only 13 and Tonio had said that Nick described him as the 'Energizer Bunny from hell', and I could see some truth to that as the boy all but vibrated in his seat as he eyed Jeremy's plate with greedy intent until Jeremy pushed his plate over to the smaller boy. He smiled his thanks before digging in.

I took Tori's bottle out of the microwave and pushed my hair aside to feed her. She took to it immediately while eyeing the newcomers in the corner of her eye, but they were too busy eating to notice the baby. I heard more footsteps come down the stairs and waited until the other werewolves came in. A tired looking child, probably 10 years old, shuffled in guided by an old skinny boy with dark brown hair. He was in Pokémon pajamas and was rubbing his brown eyes, still foggy with sleep. He had the same light brown hair as Kyle and you could even see the red streaks on his little mop of brown hair the same as Kyle.

The brunette boy guiding the small kid was tall and all elbows and knees. He looked about 17 and dark brown eyes, which looked darker than they were due to his pale skin, andlovingly watched the sleepy child.

The last entering was a kid with an average build, not too tall or skinny or anything, and he had shaggy black hair, which seemed to be sticking in every direction at the moment, and had dark brown eyes that almost seemed black. He had sharp features and I could almost tell he was scholarly person.

The little boy went to Kyle, who scooped him up into his lap where he snuggled into the warm body, and the other two went to the fridge and began pulling out food like eggs, bacon, milk, and such. I stepped out of their way, not missing how each glanced at me and how the older's nose flared as he took in my scent. I deduced that he must be Noah since the other two younger wolves were already accounted for and there were only three: Reece, Noah, and Kyle.

"This is Noah Stillwell, Michael King, and Henry Moore, Artemis," Tonio said happily as he went to help the two boys start cooking breakfast. I was right in my assumption of Noah and I nodded back to Michael when he nodded to me. Little Henry didn't even look up from where it looked like he was sleeping in his brother's lap.

My stomach growled quietly as the smell of cooking bacon hit my sensitive nose and I wandered over to the plate of toast and plucked one up after Tori was done eating. The toast did little more than make my stomach beg for more food, but I ate anyway. When I turned with a piece of toast in my mouth, I was surprised to see Reece standing in front of me, holding his arms out with a big silly grin on his face. I rolled my eyes, but handed Tori over to the other werewolf with barely a pause. Reece cooed down at the baby and Kyle watched him hold the baby.

I watched him and didn't bother to try and hide the fact when he turned and met my eyes. He smiled and rubbed Henry's back and answered my silent question. "They kinda remind me of when Henry was a baby." I turned my eyes and tried to imagine Reece and Tori in whatever memory Kyle was remembering, but failed.

I suddenly spun when I heard light footsteps coming up behind me and was ready to defend myself when I saw it was only a man I identified as Nick by his scent. I spun out of his way and tripped him up as he reached for me with a mischievous smile on his face. He grunted and Kyle openly laughed at his as the others snickered, Jeremy being the exception, at Nick's fall. Nick groaned and rolled over onto his back and looked at me leaning against the counter, munching on my toast. "Why must you be so cruel?" he bemoaned dramatically. "I couldn't carryyou last night or hug you this morning. You got something against hugs?"

I raised an eyebrow at him and honestly answered, "Yes."

Nick's brown eyes flashed brightly in challenge as he grinned slowly. "Oh," he drew out. "I'm going to have to cure you of that."

I snorted and swallowed before answering. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck," the man huffed proudly, smiling… charmingly?

I rolled my eyes and saw that Reece was glowering slightly at the man as he just laid there on the floor. When Nick just curled up on his side and looked for all the world fell asleep, Michael rolled his eyes and walked over. He grabbed one of Nick's ankles and proceeded to drag the older man out of the kitchen and into the hall. Nick didn't stir at all or show any sign that he knew what was going on.

I was caught between the urge to sigh and smile as I took another bite out of my toast as Reece came over and stood next to me. Tori waved at me and I tapped her nose in acknowledgment, which caused her to giggle and Reece to bounce her gently, before Tori snapped to attention when there was an indignant yelp from the hall.

"Whoops," Clay's deep voice came before he stepped into the kitchen, holding a yawning Katie in one arm.

"Morning Nick," Elena greeted as she followed with a bit more alert Logan. There was a grumble before Nick came in. He went to whack Clay's head, but the golden-headed werewolf only ducked his head before sitting down in a bar stool. The Beta spared me a glance before turning his attention to his wife and the preparation of food.

At least he's not insulting me anymore, I thought.

"What was all the yelling about?" Logan asked. Kyle playfully glared at Ryan, who was half way done with Jeremy's plate and ignoring the older boy until said boy took his plate.

"Hey! Give it back!" he cried, jumping out of his chair and reaching for the plate, which was held high above his head. He gave Kyle a dark look, which the werewolf only grinned cheekily at, before giving the table a considering look.

"Ryan decided to wake up Kyle," Noah answered from where he was scrambling eggs.

Logan just appeared more confused as he thought before he had a flash of understanding flash across his face. "Oh! Ryan pulled a prank, didn't he?"

"Back off," I heard Michael growl as he smacked Nick's hand with the fork he was using to flip bacon. Nick whimpered and looked at the frying meat longingly.

"I just want one piece, Mik. Please?" the supposedly older man whined. Michael only gave his a reproachful look before smacking the reaching hand again without looking, obviously having done it plenty of times before. The man yelped.

"Give it back, Kyle," Antonio ordered sternly, but with amusement. "There will be more food soon." Kyle pouted, but relinquished the plate nonetheless to a happy Ryan.

"Yeah. Apparently he set a trip wire up in Kyle's bedroom," Noah explained to the eight-year-old boy as his mother and father read a newspaper that seemed to appear from nowhere.

I watched all of this, feeling a strange pain in my chest. All of them seemed so… at home: relaxed, and I couldn't help but notice that I was standing on the side lines. My wolf sent me a multitude of impressions that could be translated as getting involved with everyone. But how do I do that? I asked, and she had no answer like me.

I watched all the different conversations and bantering going on with more than a little curiosity. Was this how the Pack always interacted with each other? So close and family-like?How strange.

I was able to restrain jumping when I felt something tug my pant leg and looked down to see an awake Henry standing beside me. I wasn't sure if I hadn't realized he was coming at me because I was distracted, or I had realized he was approaching me and I hadn't deemed him a threat subconsciously. "Who are you?" he asked innocently. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that the adults all looked at us out of the corner of their eyes.

Ignoring them, I replied, "My name is Artemis Hunter."

The eleven-year-old cocked his head to the side in a wolf-like gesture. "Oh. I'm Henry Moore. It's nice to meet you."

I blinked in surprise when he held out his hand, but I smiled a little as I shook his small hand delicately. " have very nice manners," I complimented.

I watched in amusement as his cheeks brightened in a blush and he glanced at where his brother was sitting. I pretended not to notice the 'go on' motion Kyle made. "Thank you," he mumbled. He looked flustered for a second as he looked me over before blurting, "You have nice hair." More of his face immediately turned red.

I chuckled lightly and eased myself down to sit next to the boy, being careful that my hair didn't touch the ground. "Thank you. Do you like Pokémon?"

It was a 'no dur' question, but the boy was so flustered and embarrassed that I just had the instinctive urge to put him at ease. I was rewarded when Henry's coffee brown eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I've seen every single episode there is."

"Drags us into watching them with him," Reece remarked and Henry blushed again, not looking at me.

I casually lifted my arm and bumped my fist with Reece's shin in a reprimand before admitting with feigned sheepishness. "I'm afraid that I don't know anything about Pokémon."

Henry gasped in absolute horror as he stared at me and Reece laughed. "Oh, now you've done it."

I had to agree with Reece when five minutes later Henry was still babbling on about Pokémon and everything there was to know about them, going from characters to the actual Pokémon to the battle rule to collectors cards(apparently he had ten binders filled with them) to settings and every little detail. For once, I was thankful for my great acting skills and masks as I nodded and made thoughtful sounds as the boy rambled on and on. A little sigh of thanks escaped me when Michael called that breakfast was ready… Until I realized that Henry was still going to be talking as we went into the dining room, which was easily twice as large as Stonehaven's with a lot more extravagant and classical looking table and chairs. He even talked through eating, which was stalled and stilted since he had his mouth full of food and wouldn't talk with his mouth full of food since he really did have nice manners. It even would've gone on through cleaning up if Antonio hadn't redirected the kid to go get dressed, which he only went after Nick scooped up the boy and carried him like a football up the stairs.

Reece laughed at the horrified expression on my face, which I couldn't help. "Henry really likes Pokémon," he said helpfully and I gave him a dry look before going to scrub a pan with Noah right next to me.

"Where are you from, Artemis?" Noah asked.

"L.A.," I replied, figuring I already told Antonio so there was no harm in telling anyone else.

Kyle raised an eyebrow from where he was drying the dishes. "City of Angels? That must mean you're an angel too, right?" I ignored the obvious flirting and smile, but Reece leaned over to whap him on the back of his head, which got him an indignant yelp and exclamation. "What? It's an honest question! I mean, look at the baby. She's practically an angel too!"

"Victoria has never been in Los Angeles," I told him, passing the werewolf the pan I had finished scrubbing.

"Oh," he murmured as he put the pan in the dishwasher. He paused before looking at me and asking innocently. "So where was she born?"

"Miami," I answered and he instantly brightened.

"You've been to L.A. and Miami? Where else have you been?"

I shrugged noncommittally and unplugged the drain to let the soapy disappear. "Lots of places."

Ryan streaked into the kitchen and came to a bouncing stop by my side. He tugged at my hand excitedly, "Let's play some videogames." I was about to protest, saying that I had to watch Tori, when Henry came around the corner with Logan and Katie not far behind.

"Did someone say videogames?" the eleven-year-old demanded quite seriously.

I had no choice but get dragged away as Noah, Kyle, and Reece agreed that they should play some games. The only reason I didn't fight was because Reece, and therefore Tori, was coming with. I was lead down a couple of halls and into a room that had three different flat-screens on each wall with a whole array of game systems from Plays Stations to X-Boxes to Wiisand who knows what else in the wooden cases under each TV. There was an entire book case dedicated to video games and I blinked around at it all in amazement. I felt a little bitter that I went my whole life with barely any food and fighting for every little thing and these boys had everything in surplus.

Then I was pushed towards one of the beanbags Michael had pulled out and had a Play Station controller dropped into my hands. I again only went with it only because I couldn't really get a word in otherwise. I stared at the black controller in bewilderment as the boys bickered over which game they would play. Reece dropped into the beanbag behind me and I turned to frown at him slightly more in confusion than anything else. He gave me a questioning look, but I shook my head and went back to trying to understand the perplexing technology in my hands, holding it in my hands uncertainly.

"Artemis, have you ever played Halo?" Kyle asked, looking exasperated with his argument with his brothers Noah, Ryan, and Henry. Michael was sitting in a beanbag reading a book, glancing up every once in a while at the room. I shook my head and Ryan deflated dramatically. "How about Dead Rising 2?" Another shake and Henry scowled at his blood brother."Split-Second?" I shook my head and Kyle frowned before rattling off more game names that I'd never heard of before. I decided to not tell him I'd never played any games before and see how long it took him to figure it out. Finally he sat and regarded with an expression that said he was trying to figure out a complex puzzle. Finally he just asked, "What games have you played?"

My lips quirked as I replied, "Nothing."

Silence. Blink. Blink. That was the reaction of everyone in the room as they stared at me. I couldn't help but feel a little amused as their facial expressions slowly turned to horror, even Michael even though he wasn't even playing. "You've never played a videogame?" Kyle repeated quietly.

I shook my head and Henry exploded. "How can you not know about Pokémon and never play a videogame?" he demanded, and Reece shifted behind me.

"Easily," I answered. I looked over my shoulder as Tori whined and took the baby when I realized she was getting fussy for me. Reece handed her over, still stunned, and I set her in my lap where she quieted instantly and reached for the controller in my hands.

Kyle stood up and walked over to me silently before he reached down and patted my head. "You poor, deprived child," he murmured and I gave him a dry look. "Let's start you off easy with Halo," he announced sadly and Ryan pumped the air with his fist before starting up the game. Kyle sat next to me and began to tutor me on how to play the game.

I tested my controls and analogs to see the sensitivity and scowled lightly when I saw the four-way split screen: there wouldn't be a lot for me to work with. We went through one round where I was last place in the four rankings due to me constantly falling off ledges and Ryan's 'tough love' as he put itand I growled lowly at the controller. Tori soon gave up the controller and instead watched the big TV with rapt attention.

The second round went slightly better: I was able to get some revenge on Ryan and got close to second place by the end of the five minute round. By then I had the controls mostly memorized and I was ready to start giving hell. I smirked lightly as I looked over my map and committed it to memory before going and putting my strategy into effect. There were exclamations of surprise and curses later as I quickly and continuously killed off the other three's avatars. It was quite fun if a little easy to trap every single one of them and kill them, putting my strategically skills to good use for the first time in a long time. By the end of winning two rounds against Kyle, Ryan, Henry and another two rounds against Michael, Reece, and Noah I set the controller down and stood up cradling Tori.

"You're cheating, aren't you?" Kyle demanded while gaping at me.

I smiled when Reece growled a little before shaking my head. "I'm good at planning," I offered in explanation as Ryan turned over my controller as if the secret was there. Henry was looking over my beanbag chair. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to Jeremy." Strategy had got me thinking.

I passed Nick on the way out of the room and ducked away from his hug before following the sound of faint discussion. I came upon a library with Antonio and Jeremy sitting around a very worn and old looking leather book. They both looked up at my entrance and Antonio grinned at me as Jeremy nodded in greeting. "How are you settling?" the Alpha asked politely.

"I'm not sure," I answered truthfully as I sat in a chair across from them. "I'm still a little confused by the boys."

Antonio raised an eyebrow at me as he sipped his coffee. "What was all the yelling over there for?"

I smiled, a little proud. "I don't think they'll let me play Halo anytime soon."

The large man frowned, "That bad at it?"

"That good at it," I corrected before facing the quiet Alpha. "Have you thought about security measures now that you're here?" I asked as politely as I could as Tori slapped her hands down at the table top that came up to her chin from her place in my lap.

His dark eyes glanced up, unreadable even to me before he sat back and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I have thought about it," he replied after a pause and I waited for him to continue. Nothing was spoken for a good two minutes, Antonio crossing his arms and watching the two of us with an amused smirk. Jeremy finally looked up and I thought his dark eyes warmed slightly as he rewarded my patience with an answer. "No one will leave the house alone and only with everyone if possible. Groceries will be delivered here and schooling will be done here for the remaining weeks until summer break."

"Have you thought about putting security up around the house?" I asked.

Antonio frowned at me, "How do you mean?"

"As in cameras and motion detectors around the area so we would have a warning if the Family came at us." Jeremy looked thoughtful as Antonio frowned in concern.

"We have a lot of land out there," he explained. "To try and cover that much ground would be monumental."

"But it would give us the extra time we needed to hide the children in the secret rooms and passageways." I gave Antonio a dry look when he looked surprised. "Don't be like that, Tonio. A house this old and big would have to have secret rooms." He shrugged in response.

"It wouldn't hurt," Jeremy announced as he met my eyes. "Do you have an idea on how to install the security?"

I blew a raspberry as I looked down at Tori, who wasentertaining herself with a lock of my hair. "Of course I do. I wasn't second-in-command to the family for nothing." I glanced up and saw the slightly surprised look on their faces and beat them before they could ask questions. "Bud was the Beta, the enforcer, but that didn't make him second-in-command. I came to the position when the previous SIC attacked me and I…killed him. The Family is based on a hierarchy of the best fighters." I shook my head, "Anyways, during my time there I met a mutt who worked in a security company. He's one of the mutts who can control themselves, and he owes me for covering for a security fault when Randall employed him once. I can give him a call and ask him to ship out some equipment. Knowing Dave he'll have it here in a day."

Jeremy nodded and Clay's voice came from behind me. "What about training?" I turned and looked at him questioningly. He walked into the room with Elena at his side.

"You said that the Family was trained extremely well and you the best of them," the other female werewolf explained for her husband. "Do you think you could train us like them so we can fight them?"

I schooled my face into an expressionless mask before I shook my head and answered, "Trust me when I say when you don't want that."

"So you won't train us?" Clay half demanded half asked as he sat at the table with us.

I shook my head again and turned to the door slightly when I sensed something. "I never said that," I answered as I faced the adults again. "I just said you don't want to be trained like the Family. I can train you, but I doubt I'll be able to replicate Randall's results. Hell, I don't want to, but I can get you close. Just know that it's going to be hard on anyone who wants to be trained." I paused again before looking at Jeremy and asking, "I know I don't socialize a lot, but isn't it rude to eavesdrop?" All four looked confused before there was a soft curse and Nick came in followed by Reece. Antonio looked at the both of them with some disappointment before I shook my head, "They were going to find out anyway."

"When do you think you can begin the training?" Elena asked as she lounged in the padded chair, picking up the old leather book delicately.

I shrugged. "I'd like to get that security up as soon as possible. Any advantage you can get over the Family will be needed, but to do that I need to get to know your backyard. I could start the training after that. Who do you want to go through with it?"

Jeremy thought before answering, "Everyone who can."

I nodded in agreement. "Good. It won't hurt to get the kids to learn some self-defense too. Not nearly as hard as my training, but enough that they can fight." Jeremy nodded in agreement and Reece looked at me questioningly as I stood up. "Then I need to call Dave. You got a phone?"

**Finally! I can feel the story flowing more. No more trouble. I have the next few chapters planed out and everything, they only need to be taken from mind to keyboard and they'll be up.**

**Reviews please!**


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